Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed on 12 April that Islamabad will continue mediating between the US and Iran despite the talks producing no agreement. Dar stated: "Islamabad has been and will continue" as mediator. Iran's Foreign Ministry signalled willingness to continue but proposed no date.
Pakistan hosted the talks by invoking the precedent of the 1988 Geneva Accords, when it hosted proximity negotiations between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. Pakistani officials logged more than 25 high-level contacts in the days preceding the talks to arrange the format. Sessions shifted from proximity to direct, with Pakistani officials mediating in the room.
Vance's departure leaves Pakistan as the only state with an active claim to the mediator role. Oman, which facilitated earlier indirect channels, has not publicly offered to host a next round. Egypt relayed a truce offer in early April but has not been part of the Islamabad format. Pakistan now has roughly 10 days to produce a follow-up session before the ceasefire expires around 22 April.
Pakistan's neutrality took damage during the talks themselves. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif posted anti-Israel content on social media during the opening session, an unforced error that compromised the host country's image of impartiality. Whether that incident weakens Islamabad's standing as a future venue remains to be seen.
