Pakistan-mediated Iran-US MoU resurfaces at UNGA as China backs de-escalation

The June-signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a 14-point interim framework negotiated by Pakistan to halt hostilities between Iran and the United States, has re-emerged as a focal point at this year’s United Nations General Assembly. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif affirmed Pakistan’s unified commitment to accelerate the peace process, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated Tehran’s willingness to implement the accord.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, meeting President Donald Trump in Washington, expressed backing for a return to the June deal and linked regional stability to the global economy. On the sidelines of the UNGA, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held three-hour talks with Iranian officials, the first such contact since Vice President J.D. Vance’s June meeting in Switzerland, though no breakthrough was announced.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened within seven days if the United States fulfills its MoU obligations, while Trump has dismissed the Iranian proposal and hinted at further military action. The renewed diplomatic attention occurs as Pakistan also juggles mediation efforts in the Yemen-Saudi conflict and participates in the Makkah defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, stretching its capacity amid an expanding regional war.