Pakistan’s efforts to broker dialogue between Iran and the United States have suffered a major setback following fresh military escalation in the region, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the Senate on Tuesday.

Dar said Islamabad had been playing an active diplomatic role to defuse tensions and facilitate talks, with both sides close to coming to the negotiating table.

“Before last night, I was very hopeful, but the latest dangerous developments have once again escalated the situation,” he said.

He said a major Israeli strike on Iran, followed by Iran’s retaliatory attack on oil installations in Saudi Arabia’s Jubail city, had severely undermined peace efforts.

Dar noted that Pakistan was the only Muslim country to openly condemn the initial attack on Iran. He said he was in Madinah at the time and immediately contacted the Iranian foreign minister to convey Pakistan’s position.

Pakistan then initiated broad diplomatic outreach, engaging key regional and global players, including China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and European countries, to promote restraint.

He said both sides had accepted Pakistan’s role as a facilitator and had agreed in principle to talks in Islamabad.

As part of mediation efforts, Pakistan conveyed 15-point proposals from the United States to Iran and shared Tehran’s five-point response with Washington, helping create momentum toward a possible ceasefire.

However, Dar said the latest escalation disrupted progress just as negotiations appeared imminent.

He added that Pakistan, along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Türkiye, had been working through a four-country group to advance peace, with follow-up meetings held in Islamabad after initial discussions in Riyadh.

Dar said he had also engaged China on a five-point peace initiative during his visit on March 31, while the United Nations Secretary-General had personally appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic role.

He cautioned that a prolonged conflict could have serious global and domestic consequences, particularly for oil prices and Pakistan’s economy.

“Pakistan does not seek credit. Our sole objective is peace in the region,” he said.

Dar added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir remained fully engaged in diplomatic efforts, and Pakistan would continue working to restore stability despite the setback.