{"id":1856033,"date":"2026-03-30T15:07:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1856033"},"modified":"2026-03-30T15:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:07:10","slug":"trump-issues-new-threat-to-irans-energy-sites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1856033","title":{"rendered":"Trump issues new threat to Iran&#8217;s energy sites"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74143635_6.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"sk6xmai\">\n<div class=\"content-area sa7l9jt s9mg977\">\n<section data-tracking-name=\"sharing-icons-inline\" class=\"c75t7t0 hh5424a in-line closed\">\n<div class=\"copy-button-wrapper closed\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BO9z<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"s4bcs45\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74143635_800.webp 50w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74143635_801.webp 129w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74143635_802.webp 352w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74143635_803.webp 575w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 575px)\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" \/><figcaption class=\"c1oedowi lofg86o m4xla6a s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Trump maintains strong ties with Pakistani leaders and has hosted them at the White House <small class=\"copyright c19ed66t ihwmx5 idu7i8u lxmvniw icns9en rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Image: Government of Pakistan<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/pakistan\/t-19069841\">Pakistan<\/a> has intensified its diplomatic outreach to become a key mediator in the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israel war with Iran<\/a>, using its strategic relationships with <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iran<\/a> and the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/united-states-of-america\/t-19065189\">US<\/a>\u00a0to serve as a mediator.<\/p>\n<p>Despite no sign of the conflict slowing down, the government in Islamabad <a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BLSn\" title=\"External link \u2014 held high-level meetings\">held high-level meetings<\/a> with Turkey, Egypt\u00a0and Saudi Arabia on Sunday to lay the groundwork for possible talks between Washington\u00a0and Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>After the meetings on Sunday, <a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BLcS\" title=\"External link \u2014 Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar\">Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar<\/a> said Pakistan will be &#8220;honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks,&#8221; Dar said, without sharing further details.<\/p>\n<p>It is currently unclear if the talks in question will be direct or indirect, and the US and Iran have not specifically confirmed negotiations will move forward. The US and Iran have issued conflicting statements about whether talks are even taking place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Trump issues new threat to Iran's energy sites\" class=\"headline\">Trump issues new threat to Iran&#8217;s energy sites<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76598617\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76598617\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76376332_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:09\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/vps\/webvideos\/ENG\/2026\/DWVG\/DWVGENG260330_IranLatestIns_01SMW_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<p>On Sunday, Iran&#8217;s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed plans for talks in Pakistan <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-tehran-warns-us-against-ground-assault\/live-76581165\">as a &#8220;cover&#8221; for an invasion<\/a> while 2,500 US Marines arrived in the Middle East, which Qalibaf threatened to &#8220;set on fire.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B6jP\" title=\"External link \u2014 Iran previously rejected a 15-point US peace plan\">Iran previously rejected a 15-point US peace plan<\/a> sent through Pakistani mediators as &#8220;excessive, unreasonable and unrealistic.&#8221; The plan called for Iran to end nuclear enrichment, dismantle nuclear sites, and allow passage through the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/strait-of-hormuz\/t-76193780\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Iran&#8217;s Foreign Ministry refuted claims by US President <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-president-donald-trump-russia-ukraine-israel-gaza-tariffs-trade-war\/t-19434433\">Donald Trump<\/a> that there are ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran to end the war.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We haven&#8217;t had any direct negotiations yet,&#8221; Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has signaled repeatedly that some form of negotiation between the US and Iran is progressing. However, in one of his latest posts on Truth Social, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-trump-threatens-to-blow-up-desalination-plants\/live-76586932\">Trump also threatened<\/a> to &#8220;obliterate&#8221; Iranian energy infrastructure if Iran doesn&#8217;t make a &#8220;deal&#8221; shortly and open the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<h2>Pakistan&#8217;s balancing act<\/h2>\n<p>Islamabad is seeking to reassert diplomatic relevance by positioning itself as a credible interlocutor, leveraging its ties with Washington, Tehran\u00a0and key Gulf capitals,\u00a0Raza Rumi, a US-based Pakistani analyst, told DW.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The\u00a0US-Iran conflict directly threatens Pakistan&#8217;s economic stability, given its dependence on Gulf energy flows and remittances,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan must balance its diplomacy carefully, given its defense pact with Saudi Arabia, and its cultural ties and 900\u2011kilometer (559-mile)\u00a0border with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Mediation allows Pakistan to project itself as a stabilizing actor while insulating itself from the spillover effects of a widening regional war,&#8221; Rumi added\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During Trump&#8217;s second term as president, US-Pakistani relations have improved. Trump has received Pakistan army head Asim Munir twice, calling the Pakistani general &#8220;my favorite field marshal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Fatemeh Aman, an Iran-Pakistan expert formerly at the Middle East Institute and Atlantic Council, told DW\u00a0that Pakistan is among the few countries able to speak to both Washington and Tehran without being dismissed.<\/p>\n<p>She added that Pakistan&#8217;s motivation is to manage a conflict that could very quickly have domestic consequences.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Regional powers push for peace as Iran war continues\" class=\"headline\">Regional powers push for peace as Iran war continues<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76585844\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76585844\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76585076_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:04\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20260329_IRAN17G_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<h2>Pakistan fears of regional war<\/h2>\n<p>Pakistan already finds itself in <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/is-afghanistan-pakistan-conflict-the-new-normal\/a-76155553\">conflict with the Taliban<\/a> in neighboring <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/afghanistan\/t-18932080\">Afghanistan<\/a>. The country\u00a0is also\u00a0dealing with militant threats posed by separatists in Balochistan province, which borders Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There is urgency. Instability in Iran directly impacts Pakistan \u2014 from Balochistan&#8217;s security to energy access and domestic stability,&#8221; Aman said.<\/p>\n<p>The primary threat to Pakistan is if US-Iran\u00a0negotiations fail and a protracted war continues to disrupt <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/fighting-in-iran-is-another-1970sstyle-oil-crisis-looming\/a-76557017\">energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, which would exacerbate the country&#8217;s already shaky economic situation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Failure would expose Pakistan to immediate economic and security shocks. Energy supply disruptions, especially via the Strait of Hormuz, would drive inflation and worsen fiscal stress. There would also be heightened risks along Pakistan&#8217;s western border with Iran, including refugee inflows and militant activity,&#8221; analyst Rumi said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The next threat of a prolonged conflict is the security situation along Pakistan&#8217;s western border with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Aman said this would mean trade routes would become less reliable, and the broader region would become harder to operate in.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A prolonged conflict increases pressure along the Iran-Pakistan border. It also creates openings for militant groups and raises the risk of unrest inside the country. The issue is not whether Pakistan succeeds diplomatically. The issue is that if things continue to escalate, Pakistan will have to deal with the fallout whether it wants to or not,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<h2>Pakistan&#8217;s place in the Middle East<\/h2>\n<p>Pakistan has strengthened a decades-long partnership with Saudi Arabia through a formal mutual defense pact, pledging to treat an attack on one as an attack on both. At the same time, it also has deep ties with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>If Gulf countries join the conflict, and a regional war expands, Pakistan&#8217;s balancing act is likely to become more difficult.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If Saudi Arabia joins the conflict, Pakistan will face pressure to offer at least symbolic support, but direct military involvement would be destabilizing and unwise,&#8221; Rumi said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It would likely limit its role to defensive cooperation. Iran would not see Pakistan as a main adversary unless it becomes directly involved. Still, even limited alignment with Saudi Arabia could trigger border tensions, proxy actions, or economic pressure,&#8221; the analyst added. \u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Can Pakistan stop the Iran war?\" class=\"headline\">Can Pakistan stop the Iran war?<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76585855\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76585855\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76584962_605.webp\" data-duration=\"16:20\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20260329_Lohdi_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<p>For Pakistan, the challenge is that it cannot simply treat Iran as an adversary, even if the Saudis ask for military support.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There would be pressure on Pakistan if Saudi Arabia becomes directly involved, but pressure does not mean participation. Pakistan has resisted Middle Eastern wars before. Getting involved would carry serious costs: sectarian\u00a0tensions, border instability, and economic strain,&#8221; Aman said.<\/p>\n<p>She added that a direct Iranian attack on Pakistani interests is unlikely, but if Pakistan is seen as backing military action, risks would rise. Iran would more likely signal pressure indirectly through border tensions or proxies, while avoiding full confrontation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The threat of sectarian violence<\/h2>\n<p>Pakistan&#8217;s history of sectarian violence also heightens the risk of <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/pakistan-security-in-balochistan-hits-new-low\/a-75787738\">internal instability<\/a> if the Iran war expands further.<\/p>\n<p>Iran is the world&#8217;s largest Shia Muslim-majority country, and the Shia population in Pakistan maintains a strong cultural connection.<\/p>\n<p>After Iran&#8217;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the first day of the war, protests erupted in Pakistan&#8217;s northern Gilgit\u2011Baltistan region.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities deployed the army and imposed a three\u2011day curfew in Gilgit\u2011Baltistan after at least 23 people were killed in the protests. Much of the mobilization came from Pakistan&#8217;s Shia community, which makes up an estimated 15%-20% of the 250 million population and has historically reacted strongly to developments in Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Pakistan has a history of sectarian tensions but has built mechanisms to contain large-scale violence. A Saudi-Iran conflict could deepen domestic fault lines, not through immediate unrest but gradual polarization fueled by transnational narratives and militant actors,&#8221; Rumi said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The key will be how effectively the state manages messaging, law enforcement, and political signaling,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Aman said that while developments in Iran &#8220;often resonate inside Pakistan,&#8221; the current\u00a0situation goes beyond sectarianism.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The state faces broader pressures \u2014 security, economic strain, and regional uncertainty. The real risk is an external conflict aggravating multiple internal fault lines at once, which Pakistan is trying to prevent,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by: Wesley Rahn\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/pakistan\/t-19069841\">Pakistan<\/a> has intensified its diplomatic outreach to become a key mediator in the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israel war with Iran<\/a>, using its strategic relationships with <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iran<\/a> and the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/united-states-of-america\/t-19065189\">US<\/a>\u00a0to serve as a mediator.<\/p>\n<p>Despite no sign of the conflict slowing down, the government in Islamabad <a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BLSn\" title=\"External link \u2014 held high-level meetings\">held high-level meetings<\/a> with Turkey, Egypt\u00a0and Saudi Arabia on Sunday to lay the groundwork for possible talks between Washington\u00a0and Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>After the meetings on Sunday, <a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BLcS\" title=\"External link \u2014 Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar\">Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar<\/a> said Pakistan will be &#8220;honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks,&#8221; Dar said, without sharing further details.<\/p>\n<p>It is currently unclear if the talks in question will be direct or indirect, and the US and Iran have not specifically confirmed negotiations will move forward. The US and Iran have issued conflicting statements about whether talks are even taking place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Trump issues new threat to Iran's energy sites\" class=\"headline\">Trump issues new threat to Iran&#8217;s energy sites<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76598617\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76598617\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76376332_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:09\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/vps\/webvideos\/ENG\/2026\/DWVG\/DWVGENG260330_IranLatestIns_01SMW_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<p>On Sunday, Iran&#8217;s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed plans for talks in Pakistan <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-tehran-warns-us-against-ground-assault\/live-76581165\">as a &#8220;cover&#8221; for an invasion<\/a> while 2,500 US Marines arrived in the Middle East, which Qalibaf threatened to &#8220;set on fire.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B6jP\" title=\"External link \u2014 Iran previously rejected a 15-point US peace plan\">Iran previously rejected a 15-point US peace plan<\/a> sent through Pakistani mediators as &#8220;excessive, unreasonable and unrealistic.&#8221; The plan called for Iran to end nuclear enrichment, dismantle nuclear sites, and allow passage through the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/strait-of-hormuz\/t-76193780\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Iran&#8217;s Foreign Ministry refuted claims by US President <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-president-donald-trump-russia-ukraine-israel-gaza-tariffs-trade-war\/t-19434433\">Donald Trump<\/a> that there are ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran to end the war.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We haven&#8217;t had any direct negotiations yet,&#8221; Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has signaled repeatedly that some form of negotiation between the US and Iran is progressing. However, in one of his latest posts on Truth Social, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-trump-threatens-to-blow-up-desalination-plants\/live-76586932\">Trump also threatened<\/a> to &#8220;obliterate&#8221; Iranian energy infrastructure if Iran doesn&#8217;t make a &#8220;deal&#8221; shortly and open the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<h2>Pakistan&#8217;s balancing act<\/h2>\n<p>Islamabad is seeking to reassert diplomatic relevance by positioning itself as a credible interlocutor, leveraging its ties with Washington, Tehran\u00a0and key Gulf capitals,\u00a0Raza Rumi, a US-based Pakistani analyst, told DW.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The\u00a0US-Iran conflict directly threatens Pakistan&#8217;s economic stability, given its dependence on Gulf energy flows and remittances,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan must balance its diplomacy carefully, given its defense pact with Saudi Arabia, and its cultural ties and 900\u2011kilometer (559-mile)\u00a0border with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Mediation allows Pakistan to project itself as a stabilizing actor while insulating itself from the spillover effects of a widening regional war,&#8221; Rumi added\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During Trump&#8217;s second term as president, US-Pakistani relations have improved. Trump has received Pakistan army head Asim Munir twice, calling the Pakistani general &#8220;my favorite field marshal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Fatemeh Aman, an Iran-Pakistan expert formerly at the Middle East Institute and Atlantic Council, told DW\u00a0that Pakistan is among the few countries able to speak to both Washington and Tehran without being dismissed.<\/p>\n<p>She added that Pakistan&#8217;s motivation is to manage a conflict that could very quickly have domestic consequences.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Regional powers push for peace as Iran war continues\" class=\"headline\">Regional powers push for peace as Iran war continues<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76585844\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76585844\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76585076_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:04\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20260329_IRAN17G_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<h2>Pakistan fears of regional war<\/h2>\n<p>Pakistan already finds itself in <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/is-afghanistan-pakistan-conflict-the-new-normal\/a-76155553\">conflict with the Taliban<\/a> in neighboring <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/afghanistan\/t-18932080\">Afghanistan<\/a>. The country\u00a0is also\u00a0dealing with militant threats posed by separatists in Balochistan province, which borders Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There is urgency. Instability in Iran directly impacts Pakistan \u2014 from Balochistan&#8217;s security to energy access and domestic stability,&#8221; Aman said.<\/p>\n<p>The primary threat to Pakistan is if US-Iran\u00a0negotiations fail and a protracted war continues to disrupt <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/fighting-in-iran-is-another-1970sstyle-oil-crisis-looming\/a-76557017\">energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, which would exacerbate the country&#8217;s already shaky economic situation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Failure would expose Pakistan to immediate economic and security shocks. Energy supply disruptions, especially via the Strait of Hormuz, would drive inflation and worsen fiscal stress. There would also be heightened risks along Pakistan&#8217;s western border with Iran, including refugee inflows and militant activity,&#8221; analyst Rumi said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The next threat of a prolonged conflict is the security situation along Pakistan&#8217;s western border with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Aman said this would mean trade routes would become less reliable, and the broader region would become harder to operate in.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A prolonged conflict increases pressure along the Iran-Pakistan border. It also creates openings for militant groups and raises the risk of unrest inside the country. The issue is not whether Pakistan succeeds diplomatically. The issue is that if things continue to escalate, Pakistan will have to deal with the fallout whether it wants to or not,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<h2>Pakistan&#8217;s place in the Middle East<\/h2>\n<p>Pakistan has strengthened a decades-long partnership with Saudi Arabia through a formal mutual defense pact, pledging to treat an attack on one as an attack on both. At the same time, it also has deep ties with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>If Gulf countries join the conflict, and a regional war expands, Pakistan&#8217;s balancing act is likely to become more difficult.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If Saudi Arabia joins the conflict, Pakistan will face pressure to offer at least symbolic support, but direct military involvement would be destabilizing and unwise,&#8221; Rumi said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It would likely limit its role to defensive cooperation. Iran would not see Pakistan as a main adversary unless it becomes directly involved. Still, even limited alignment with Saudi Arabia could trigger border tensions, proxy actions, or economic pressure,&#8221; the analyst added. \u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Can Pakistan stop the Iran war?\" class=\"headline\">Can Pakistan stop the Iran war?<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76585855\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76585855\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76584962_605.webp\" data-duration=\"16:20\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20260329_Lohdi_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<p>For Pakistan, the challenge is that it cannot simply treat Iran as an adversary, even if the Saudis ask for military support.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There would be pressure on Pakistan if Saudi Arabia becomes directly involved, but pressure does not mean participation. Pakistan has resisted Middle Eastern wars before. Getting involved would carry serious costs: sectarian\u00a0tensions, border instability, and economic strain,&#8221; Aman said.<\/p>\n<p>She added that a direct Iranian attack on Pakistani interests is unlikely, but if Pakistan is seen as backing military action, risks would rise. Iran would more likely signal pressure indirectly through border tensions or proxies, while avoiding full confrontation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The threat of sectarian violence<\/h2>\n<p>Pakistan&#8217;s history of sectarian violence also heightens the risk of <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/pakistan-security-in-balochistan-hits-new-low\/a-75787738\">internal instability<\/a> if the Iran war expands further.<\/p>\n<p>Iran is the world&#8217;s largest Shia Muslim-majority country, and the Shia population in Pakistan maintains a strong cultural connection.<\/p>\n<p>After Iran&#8217;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the first day of the war, protests erupted in Pakistan&#8217;s northern Gilgit\u2011Baltistan region.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities deployed the army and imposed a three\u2011day curfew in Gilgit\u2011Baltistan after at least 23 people were killed in the protests. Much of the mobilization came from Pakistan&#8217;s Shia community, which makes up an estimated 15%-20% of the 250 million population and has historically reacted strongly to developments in Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Pakistan has a history of sectarian tensions but has built mechanisms to contain large-scale violence. A Saudi-Iran conflict could deepen domestic fault lines, not through immediate unrest but gradual polarization fueled by transnational narratives and militant actors,&#8221; Rumi said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The key will be how effectively the state manages messaging, law enforcement, and political signaling,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Aman said that while developments in Iran &#8220;often resonate inside Pakistan,&#8221; the current\u00a0situation goes beyond sectarianism.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The state faces broader pressures \u2014 security, economic strain, and regional uncertainty. The real risk is an external conflict aggravating multiple internal fault lines at once, which Pakistan is trying to prevent,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by: Wesley Rahn\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/pakistan\/t-19069841\">Pakistan<\/a> has intensified its diplomatic outreach to become a key mediator in the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israel war with Iran<\/a>, using its strategic relationships with <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iran<\/a> and the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/united-states-of-america\/t-19065189\">US<\/a>\u00a0to serve as a mediator.<\/p>\n<p>Despite no sign of the conflict slowing down, the government in Islamabad <a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BLSn\" title=\"External link \u2014 held high-level meetings\">held high-level meetings<\/a> with Turkey, Egypt\u00a0and Saudi Arabia on Sunday to lay the groundwork for possible talks between Washington\u00a0and Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>After the meetings on Sunday, <a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BLcS\" title=\"External link \u2014 Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar\">Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar<\/a> said Pakistan will be &#8220;honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in the coming days.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks,&#8221; Dar said, without sharing further details.<\/p>\n<p>It is currently unclear if the talks in question will be direct or indirect, and the US and Iran have not specifically confirmed negotiations will move forward. The US and Iran have issued conflicting statements about whether talks are even taking place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, Iran&#8217;s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed plans for talks in Pakistan <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-tehran-warns-us-against-ground-assault\/live-76581165\">as a &#8220;cover&#8221; for an invasion<\/a> while 2,500 US Marines arrived in the Middle East, which Qalibaf threatened to &#8220;set on fire.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener follow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external-link\" href=\"https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B6jP\" title=\"External link \u2014 Iran previously rejected a 15-point US peace plan\">Iran previously rejected a 15-point US peace plan<\/a> sent through Pakistani mediators as &#8220;excessive, unreasonable and unrealistic.&#8221; The plan called for Iran to end nuclear enrichment, dismantle nuclear sites, and allow passage through the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/strait-of-hormuz\/t-76193780\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Iran&#8217;s Foreign Ministry refuted claims by US President <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-president-donald-trump-russia-ukraine-israel-gaza-tariffs-trade-war\/t-19434433\">Donald Trump<\/a> that there are ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran to end the war.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We haven&#8217;t had any direct negotiations yet,&#8221; Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has signaled repeatedly that some form of negotiation between the US and Iran is progressing. However, in one of his latest posts on Truth Social, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-trump-threatens-to-blow-up-desalination-plants\/live-76586932\">Trump also threatened<\/a> to &#8220;obliterate&#8221; Iranian energy infrastructure if Iran doesn&#8217;t make a &#8220;deal&#8221; shortly and open the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>Islamabad is seeking to reassert diplomatic relevance by positioning itself as a credible interlocutor, leveraging its ties with Washington, Tehran\u00a0and key Gulf capitals,\u00a0Raza Rumi, a US-based Pakistani analyst, told DW.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The\u00a0US-Iran conflict directly threatens Pakistan&#8217;s economic stability, given its dependence on Gulf energy flows and remittances,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan must balance its diplomacy carefully, given its defense pact with Saudi Arabia, and its cultural ties and 900\u2011kilometer (559-mile)\u00a0border with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Mediation allows Pakistan to project itself as a stabilizing actor while insulating itself from the spillover effects of a widening regional war,&#8221; Rumi added\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During Trump&#8217;s second term as president, US-Pakistani relations have improved. Trump has received Pakistan army head Asim Munir twice, calling the Pakistani general &#8220;my favorite field marshal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Fatemeh Aman, an Iran-Pakistan expert formerly at the Middle East Institute and Atlantic Council, told DW\u00a0that Pakistan is among the few countries able to speak to both Washington and Tehran without being dismissed.<\/p>\n<p>She added that Pakistan&#8217;s motivation is to manage a conflict that could very quickly have domestic consequences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Pakistan already finds itself in <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/is-afghanistan-pakistan-conflict-the-new-normal\/a-76155553\">conflict with the Taliban<\/a> in neighboring <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/afghanistan\/t-18932080\">Afghanistan<\/a>. The country\u00a0is also\u00a0dealing with militant threats posed by separatists in Balochistan province, which borders Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There is urgency. Instability in Iran directly impacts Pakistan \u2014 from Balochistan&#8217;s security to energy access and domestic stability,&#8221; Aman said.<\/p>\n<p>The primary threat to Pakistan is if US-Iran\u00a0negotiations fail and a protracted war continues to disrupt <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/fighting-in-iran-is-another-1970sstyle-oil-crisis-looming\/a-76557017\">energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, which would exacerbate the country&#8217;s already shaky economic situation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Failure would expose Pakistan to immediate economic and security shocks. Energy supply disruptions, especially via the Strait of Hormuz, would drive inflation and worsen fiscal stress. There would also be heightened risks along Pakistan&#8217;s western border with Iran, including refugee inflows and militant activity,&#8221; analyst Rumi said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The next threat of a prolonged conflict is the security situation along Pakistan&#8217;s western border with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Aman said this would mean trade routes would become less reliable, and the broader region would become harder to operate in.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A prolonged conflict increases pressure along the Iran-Pakistan border. It also creates openings for militant groups and raises the risk of unrest inside the country. The issue is not whether Pakistan succeeds diplomatically. The issue is that if things continue to escalate, Pakistan will have to deal with the fallout whether it wants to or not,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan has strengthened a decades-long partnership with Saudi Arabia through a formal mutual defense pact, pledging to treat an attack on one as an attack on both. At the same time, it also has deep ties with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>If Gulf countries join the conflict, and a regional war expands, Pakistan&#8217;s balancing act is likely to become more difficult.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If Saudi Arabia joins the conflict, Pakistan will face pressure to offer at least symbolic support, but direct military involvement would be destabilizing and unwise,&#8221; Rumi said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It would likely limit its role to defensive cooperation. Iran would not see Pakistan as a main adversary unless it becomes directly involved. Still, even limited alignment with Saudi Arabia could trigger border tensions, proxy actions, or economic pressure,&#8221; the analyst added. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For Pakistan, the challenge is that it cannot simply treat Iran as an adversary, even if the Saudis ask for military support.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There would be pressure on Pakistan if Saudi Arabia becomes directly involved, but pressure does not mean participation. Pakistan has resisted Middle Eastern wars before. Getting involved would carry serious costs: sectarian\u00a0tensions, border instability, and economic strain,&#8221; Aman said.<\/p>\n<p>She added that a direct Iranian attack on Pakistani interests is unlikely, but if Pakistan is seen as backing military action, risks would rise. Iran would more likely signal pressure indirectly through border tensions or proxies, while avoiding full confrontation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan&#8217;s history of sectarian violence also heightens the risk of <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/pakistan-security-in-balochistan-hits-new-low\/a-75787738\">internal instability<\/a> if the Iran war expands further.<\/p>\n<p>Iran is the world&#8217;s largest Shia Muslim-majority country, and the Shia population in Pakistan maintains a strong cultural connection.<\/p>\n<p>After Iran&#8217;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the first day of the war, protests erupted in Pakistan&#8217;s northern Gilgit\u2011Baltistan region.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities deployed the army and imposed a three\u2011day curfew in Gilgit\u2011Baltistan after at least 23 people were killed in the protests. Much of the mobilization came from Pakistan&#8217;s Shia community, which makes up an estimated 15%-20% of the 250 million population and has historically reacted strongly to developments in Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Pakistan has a history of sectarian tensions but has built mechanisms to contain large-scale violence. A Saudi-Iran conflict could deepen domestic fault lines, not through immediate unrest but gradual polarization fueled by transnational narratives and militant actors,&#8221; Rumi said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The key will be how effectively the state manages messaging, law enforcement, and political signaling,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Aman said that while developments in Iran &#8220;often resonate inside Pakistan,&#8221; the current\u00a0situation goes beyond sectarianism.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The state faces broader pressures \u2014 security, economic strain, and regional uncertainty. The real risk is an external conflict aggravating multiple internal fault lines at once, which Pakistan is trying to prevent,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by: Wesley Rahn\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/pakistan-under-pressure-to-host-successful-us-iran-talks\/a-76596163&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74143635_6.jpg&#8221;] https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BO9z Trump maintains strong ties with Pakistani leaders and has hosted them at the White House Image: Government of Pakistan Pakistan has intensified its diplomatic outreach to become a key mediator in the US-Israel war with Iran, using its strategic relationships with Iran and the US\u00a0to serve as a mediator. Despite no [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,74],"class_list":["post-1856033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dw-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1856033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1856033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1856033\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1856033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1856033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1856033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}