Regional diplomacy intensifies with talks aimed at de-escalation, advancing ceasefire efforts in Middle East conflict
Turk Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty. Photos: MOFA
The Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers landed in Islamabad on Saturday, with Saudi Arabia’s to follow, for a visit from March 29 to 30 on the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in a bid to de-escalate tensions in the region amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.
In a post on X, the Foreign Office said the Egyptian diplomat would hold consultations on regional developments and call on the prime minister. He was received by Additional Foreign Secretary Syed Ahmed Maroof.
“The visit reflects the close and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Egypt and their continued coordination on regional and international issues.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty arrived in Islamabad on an official visit at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister/Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. During the visit, he will hold consultations on regional developments and call on the Prime… pic.twitter.com/yy3kgvIpT9
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) March 28, 2026
The Turkish FM was received by Additional Foreign Secretary Syed Ali Asad Gillani at Nur Khan Airbase. The FO said he would hold bilateral talks with FM Dar on bilateral and other key issues.
FM of Türkiye Hakan Fidan @HakanFidan has arrived in Islamabad along with Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Egypt for consultations on efforts aimed at de-escalation in the region. He was received by AS (Afghanistan & West Asia) Syed Ali Asad Gillani at Nur Khan Airbase. FM… pic.twitter.com/EXUXFJ3Gaa
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) March 28, 2026
The FO announced the visits earlier today, saying that Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Hakan Fidan of Turkiye and Dr Badr Abdelatty of Egypt would visit Pakistan to hold “in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region”.
The ministry added that the visiting dignitaries would also call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Read: Why is Pakistan involved in efforts to stop the war in Iran?
Further, the statement noted that “Pakistan highly values its relations with the brotherly countries of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt,” saying that the visit “will provide an opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan’s cooperation and coordination with these countries across multifaceted areas of mutual interest”.
FM Dar said that he looked forward to welcoming his counterparts.
FM Fidan said the meeting would seek to establish a mechanism aimed at de-escalation.
“We would discuss where the negotiations in this war are heading and how these four countries assess the situation and what can be done,” he told broadcaster A Haber late on Friday.
The four nations have been involved in trying to mediate between Washington and Tehran in the war launched by the US and Israel on February 28, and all are acutely vulnerable to threats to energy supplies and trade routes.
Read More: FM Dar urges collective efforts to de-escalate Mideast crisis in talks with Iran, Turkish, Iraqi counterparts
These developments come as Pakistan emerges as a key mediator between the United States and Iran in their ongoing conflict which has spread across the Gulf region.
Pakistan has conveyed to Tehran a US proposal for ending the war and offered to host talks, with Iranian officials indicating any negotiations could take place in Pakistan or Turkey.
US President Donald Trump has said talks with Iran were going “very well”, but Tehran denies talking with Washington.
Iran has been reviewing the 15-point US proposal, although one official has dismissed it as “one-sided and unfair”. Its demands range from dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme to curbing its missile development and effectively handing over control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources and reports.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly offered Pakistan as a venue for US-Iran peace talks, an offer that received an extraordinary boost when Trump reposted it on his Truth Social platform, a move widely seen in Islamabad as Washington’s tacit endorsement of Pakistan’s emerging role as a mediator.
On Thursday, FM Dar had confirmed that indirect communication between the US and Iran was underway through messages being relayed by Pakistan, with Turkiye and Egypt also assisting diplomatic efforts aimed at easing the tensions in the Middle East.
Also Read: Pakistan’s good ties with US, Iran pay off
The deputy prime minister has engaged with various political figures as Pakistan continues to call for de-escalation to the conflict; these include discussions with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
– With additional input from Reuters
