Beijing: China has called on Pakistan to ramp up its diplomatic mediation between Iran and the United States, especially as talks on Strait of Hormuz stability hang in the balance, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The message came from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi — a member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee’s Political Bureau — during a Tuesday phone call with Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, agencies reported.
Dar updated Wang on Pakistan’s latest efforts to foster dialogue between Tehran and Washington, expressing thanks for China’s backing and a desire for closer coordination to bolster regional peace.
Xinhua reported that Wang “reiterated China’s principled position and commended Pakistan for facilitating US-Iran talks and helping extend the temporary ceasefire.”
Wang added: “expressed hope that Pakistan will maintain confidence and contribute to restoring regional peace at an early date, which is also the common aspiration of the international community.”
“China will continue to support Pakistan’s mediation efforts and make its own contribution toward this end,” Xinhua quoted Wang as saying.
Pakistan Trust Questioned
Meanwhile, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham threw cold water on Pakistan’s mediator role Tuesday, decla
ring he does not “trust” Islamabad and urging a search for an alternative to broker a truce with Iran.
His sharp criticism followed reports that Pakistan allowed Iranian military aircraft to park at its airfields, potentially protecting them from American airstrikes.
“I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them. If they actually do have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me we should be looking maybe for somebody else to mediate. No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere,” Graham remarked.
The exchange unfolded during testimony by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth before the Senate Appropriations Committee, where Graham probed Islamabad’s neutrality.
Graham asked Hegseth if the Iranian planes on Pakistani soil were “consistent with [Pakistan] being a fair mediator.” Hegseth sidestepped, saying he did not want to interfere with ongoing negotiations.
Iran Jets Arrived During Ceasefire
Pakistan has acknowledged permitting Iranian military aircraft to use its strategic airbases amid the recent US-Iran conflict in West Asia, though it denied any military protection angle.
This followed scrutiny over reports — first detailed by CBS News, citing two US officials — that Pakistan quietly let Tehran shelter planes at its facilities while preserving US ties.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement “categorically rejecting” claims about aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase, but it inadvertently confirmed their presence.
“The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bears no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement,” the statement claimed.