Betsy Joles

side in talks that could decide whether

whether a two-week ceasefire will be prolonged, or if issues like Israeli attacks in Lebanon will foil the peace process.

For NPR News, I'm Betsy Joles in Islamabad.

In a post on X, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shabash Sharif said he hopes talks in Islamabad will lead to a, quote, conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.

Pakistan has played a key role in the peace process so far, acting as an intermediary between Iran and the U.S.

In his confirmation of the two-week plan, Iranian Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Arachi thanked Sharif by name, along with Pakistan's powerful army chief, Asim Munir.

Trump also said his decision to suspend attacks on Iran was based on conversations with Sharif and Muneer.

For NPR News, I'm Betsy Joles in Islamabad.

Pakistan's foreign ministry also said that both the U.S.

and Iran have expressed their confidence in the country to facilitate these talks.

Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif announced last week that Pakistan was ready to host Iran in the U.S., but he didn't offer a timeline for a possible visit.

This most recent statement comes after consultations with foreign ministers from Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia in Islamabad yesterday.

Pakistan says all three countries expressed their support for Islamabad as a venue for U.S.-Iran meetings, but Iran also says it expects a ground assault from the U.S., even as possible peace talks are planned.

For NPR News, I'm Betsy Joles in Islamabad.

This announcement by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar comes days after he confirmed that Pakistan was relaying messages between Iran and the United States in an attempt to de-escalate the war between them.

Iran started restricting access to the Strait of Hormuz shortly after U.S.-Israeli attacks began late last month.

In addition to Pakistan, some ships from countries including China, Malaysia, Turkey and India have passed or gotten permission to pass so far.

Iran has explicitly banned ships linked to the U.S., Israel and their allies.

The disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has had a major impact on crude oil prices, which rose to $110 per barrel this past week.

For NPR News, I'm Betsy Joles in Islamabad.