Trump again hails Pakistan as Key Player in US-Iran Peace Breakthrough
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
WASHINGTON – As US, and Iran are moving closer to peace deal, US President Donald Trump singled out Pakistan, praising its role in the negotiations and calling its efforts “very good” as talks edged toward a potentially historic breakthrough. Trump made dramatic claim that Iran has effectively undergone a “regime change,” saying the country now has a new leadership that is “smarter” and “less radical” than before. POTUs argued that multiple layers of Iran’s leadership had been removed or weakened, leading to what he described as a de facto change in government. “One leadership is gone, another leadership is gone, and a third leadership is partly going,” Trump said. “I think this is regime change.” In a significant acknowledgment, Trump praised Pakistan and Qatar for their efforts in facilitating negotiations between the parties involved. “Pakistan and Qatar both did a very good job,” he said, highlighting their contribution to the diplomatic process that led to the emerging agreement. Trump announced that a peace agreement with Iran could be signed “tomorrow or the next day,” after previously indicating that a formal signing ceremony would take place in Switzerland on Friday. According to Trump, the agreement includes Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and not to seek them from any other country. He stressed that the provision prevents both the production and acquisition of nuclear weapons. Trump said military operations would have continued had Iran refused to accept the agreement. “If Iran had not agreed to the deal, the bombing would have continued,” Trump said, presenting the agreement as a turning point in the conflict. The agreement has resulted in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, and claimed it would help bring an end to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Trump also mentioned that Israel had been provided with a copy of the agreement and described the country as a “good partner.” However, he also sug