Pakistan PM Signs Islamabad MoU as Mediator Between US and Iran

Istanbul - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, an agreement reached by the United States and Iran to end hostilities. Pakistan served as the principal mediator between the US and Iran after facilitating a ceasefire on 8 April and hosting high-level negotiations between the two nations on 12-13 April. The Islamabad meeting represented the first high-level contact between the US and Iran since the two countries severed diplomatic relations in 1979. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif signed the MoU in his capacity as mediator. On Thursday morning, Sharif announced that the historic Islamabad MoU between the US and Iran would take effect immediately upon signing. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Sharif said the memorandum of understanding had been signed electronically by the presidents of the United States and Iran, and was authenticated by Pakistan in its role as mediator. Shortly after the US and Israel initiated military action on 28 February, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. Subsequently, on 13 April, US forces blockaded Iranian ports, severely disrupting commercial shipping through the vital waterway.