Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Washington on Friday for talks with US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, Pakistan’s Foreign Office announced on Thursday.
The visit comes as Islamabad intensifies diplomatic efforts to secure a permanent peace agreement aimed at ending the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Officials had initially scheduled the Dar-Rubio meeting for Thursday, but later postponed it until Friday.
According to the Foreign Office, the two leaders will review bilateral relations and discuss regional and global developments of mutual interest. The ministry added that both sides will also focus on expanding cooperation in priority sectors and strengthening efforts to promote peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy.
The Foreign Office said the visit reflects Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its longstanding partnership with the United States. Dar is expected to return to Islamabad later on Friday after completing his engagements in Washington.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic meeting comes at a time of renewed tensions in the region after the United States and Iran exchanged attacks following a cabinet meeting chaired by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Rubio said Washington hoped to achieve progress within the next few hours or days. However, he also told Trump that alternative options remained available if negotiations failed.
Trump claimed that Tehran was under pressure and eager to strike a deal. “They just want to make a deal. I don’t think they have a choice,” he said.
In response, an Iranian official accused Trump of attempting to escape a “strategic deadlock” while alternating between threats and calls for negotiations.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during an Eid call and expressed hope that Iran and the United States would soon reach a dignified peace agreement benefiting the entire region.
