With only a few hours left before the deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for talks with Iran, mediator Pakistan made a surprise proposal for a "two-week extension" and a cease-fire. Attention is on whether last-minute diplomacy can work on the brink of a full-scale clash.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on the 7th (local time) on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "I earnestly ask President Trump to extend the negotiation deadline by two weeks." This came as Trump set 8 p.m. the same day (Eastern time) as the deadline and warned that if no agreement was reached, he would immediately strike key infrastructure inside Iran, including power plants and bridges. Sharif's proposal was made public about five hours before the deadline.
Sharif also urged Iran to "keep the Strait of Hormuz open for two weeks as a gesture of goodwill." At the same time, he stressed that "a cease-fire is necessary so that talks for long-term peace and stability can continue."
In this regard, the White House said Trump is aware of the Pakistani prime minister's request. White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said, "President Trump has received the proposal, and there will be a response." A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran is "positively reviewing Pakistan's two-week cease-fire plan."
With neither side stating a clear refusal, there is talk that a dramatic agreement could emerge at the "brink of a strike." Given that the mediator prime minister unveiled the proposal just before the deadline, some speculate there had been some prior coordination with the United States and Iran.