Pak hosting US-Iran talks?
The summit in Islamabad could happen as early as Thursday.
Eid Mubarak to all and hope you had a relaxing, great break! I did vanish on you without announcing the break, but it did involve a misplaced laptop and pre-Eid craziness.
I’m sure your Eid tables were filled with discussions about the Iran war and obviously, the End of Times and there is much to discuss. I have summarised the past few days below including local updates in Highlights.
Pakistan is likely hosting the talks between Iran and the US, (some are whispering that it’s already happening), the conflict with Afghanistan might resume and India’s weight-loss drugs just got cheaper.
See you all tomorrow, without a doubt! Hope you missed this newsletter (haha), and do share with others if you did! Would really appreciate it.
For the fourth day of Eid, authorities blocked PTI founder Imran Khan’s family and lawyers from visiting him at Adiala Jail. His sisters, Aleema Khan and Noreen Niazi, staged a roadside sit-in, alleging he is in solitary confinement and that information regarding his health and recent hospital transfer is being "deliberately withheld."
To conserve fuel during the Middle East war, Sindh is figuring out if they want to do a smart lockdown for the province. The lockdown, similar to Covid times, will restrict movement to one person per household, ban gatherings of more than four people, and seal off specific neighborhoods. It will also include school closures through March 31, a 60% cut in government fuel, and mandatory work-from-home Fridays for officials.
Clerics from Pakistan and Afghanistan have issued a joint appeal to extend the recent Eidul Fitr ceasefire until Eidul Azha to ensure a peaceful Hajj and pursue a lasting resolution to the conflict. Earlier, Information Minister Atta Tarar had announced a pause in the conflict for choti Eid, saying that the pause would be applicable from midnight March 18-19 to midnight March 23-24.
India is seeing a flood of cheap, generic weight-loss drugs (like the active ingredients in Ozempic) because their patents just expired and the government is cracking down on pharmacies and websites to make sure people don’t buy them without a doctor’s prescription. Last year’s govt data showed that 24 per cent of women and 23 per cent of men were overweight or obese in India and prices of weight loss drugs were $161-$236 a month. Since the expiry of the patent, several Indian drug makers have rolled out generic weight loss products, with monthly injections costing anywhere between $15-$45.
Is Islamabad hosting the US-Iran peace talks? Is it already happening as we speak? I’ve taken all the reported information from Al-Jazeera, Dawn, The News, GEO News, The Guardian (who have also quoted other agencies such as Reuters) and made a combined summary of what we know so far below.
The Islamabad Summit: Is it happening?
As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth week, a frantic diplomatic effort led by Pakistan is attempting to broker an end to a conflict that has already claimed over 2,000 lives. While the US and Israel are continuing to send military assets into the Middle East, the groundwork is being laid for a potential face-to-face meeting, likely in Islamabad between Washington and Tehran.
US President Donald Trump claims that “this war has been won”, saying a joint US-Israel campaign against Iran has killed top leaders and that Tehran has agreed never to seek a nuclear weapon. When asked who he was ‘dealing with’ in Iran, Trump refused to give a name, saying he ‘did not want them to get killed’.
While Trump did not name the official, multiple news outlets in Israel and the US have reported that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, are talking to the Iranian parliament’s speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Global oil prices fell by nearly 6% to $98.30 after President Trump confirmed talks and Tehran signaled a de-escalation by allowing "non-hostile" vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan’s Role as Lead Mediator
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formally pitched Islamabad as a venue for “meaningful and conclusive talks,” a proposal that President Donald Trump signaled his approval of by sharing it on social media. PM Shehbaz wrote on X that, “subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host…”
This diplomatic pivot follows weeks of “hectic diplomacy” as The White House and Reuters confirmed that Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, spoke directly with President Trump on Sunday. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian twice in recent days, with one call lasting over an hour, while Deputy PM Ishaq Dar has been in constant contact with his Iranian counterpart.
Pakistan is also working in close coordination with Turkey and Egypt, who reportedly dissuaded the U.S. from attacking Iranian energy infrastructure to prevent a dangerous escalation (attacking Iran’s power plants as Trump threatened to do, would’ve been really bad for the whole region since Iran said that they would retaliate and hit energy and water facilities in the region. So no electricity, no water could have been a reality for the Gulf States).
The “15 Points” and Potential Friction
So, President Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social, (written in CAPS), that negotiations were held this past Sunday and Monday between the US and Iran, and were “VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE,” focusing on a 15-point plan sent to Iran via Pakistan. Trump noted the primary point is an Iranian commitment to forgo nuclear weapons, stating, “If they carry through with that, it’ll end that problem.” He also said that he had told the Department of War to postpone strkes against Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.
But what is the 15 point plan? No one knows for sure but an analysis in The Guardian yesterday suggests that Trump’s "15-point plan" is likely a rehash of a rejected 2025 framework, possibly shared now to calm volatile markets and delay strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure. The likely, outdated proposal demands the total dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities and strict control over sanctions relief funds, terms Tehran previously found unacceptable.
Other significant hurdles remain as well:
Iranian Demands: Reports indicate Tehran has hardened its stance, demanding “red line” concessions such as guarantees against future military action, wartime reparations, and formal control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Negotiator Preferences: Iranian negotiators reportedly prefer dealing with Vice President JD Vance rather than the U.S. team of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Public vs. Private Realities: In Tehran, officials publicly deny the existence of negotiations, stating the military is focused on new strikes against Israel. Foreign Ministry spokespeople, however, have tacitly confirmed that messages from the U.S. have been “received and responded to.”
Military Escalation amidst talks
Despite the possibility of talks and peace, the Trump administration is sending the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (2,500 Marines) and the 82nd Airborne Unit (1,500 troops) to the region. Analysts note these units specialize in invading territory, pushing a dual strategy of military pressure and diplomatic engagement.
What about Israel?
The shift toward potential negotiations has sparked a sense of “disappointment and confusion” within Israel, according to an Al-Jazeera report, citing Israeli analysts. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frames the situation as a victory where military achievements are being leveraged for a favorable deal, many Israeli analysts suggest the country has been sidelined. Some experts argue that Netanyahu may have overpromised the ease of “regime change” to President Trump, while others believe the primary objective was always the long-term degradation of Iran’s military capabilities, a goal they argue has been achieved.
International and Regional Fallout
The conflict has drawn sharp rebukes and calls for stability from the international community but interestingly, not from Saudi Arabia. While Pakistan engaged Saudi leadership in the lead-up to the summit proposal, President Trump noted that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman remains a “warrior” who is “fighting with us.” On the other hand, Turkey and Qatar, are pushing for result-oriented negotiations to protect the global economy from soaring energy prices and to prevent a total collapse of regional security. And in Europe, in a rare break with its ally, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the US-Israeli war on Iran a “violation of international law,” stating that the justification of an “imminent attack” on the U.S. does not hold water.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has characterized the situation as “fluid,” noting that while speculation is high, no meetings are final until formally announced. If the parties concur, the summit in Islamabad could happen as early as Thursday.
Other War Stuff:
Military Actions and Casualties
The conflict has seen significant escalations across several fronts:
Attacks on Iran: US and Israeli strikes on southern Tehran have killed at least 12 people and wounded 28 just this morning. Iran also claims to have struck a US F-35 jet.
Attacks on Israel: Iran and Hezbollah have launched fresh missile barrages targeting central Israel and the coastal city of Netanya.
Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Defence intercepted 20 drones and a ballistic missile in its eastern region.
Iraq: Caught in the crossfire, Iraq has seen 50 deaths. Iranian ballistic strikes recently hit Peshmerga positions in the northern Kurdish region.
Bahrain: Authorities have sounded sirens and urged citizens to seek shelter.
Global Energy and Economic Crisis
The war is causing what officials call the “biggest disruption to energy supplies in history”:
National Emergencies: The Philippines has declared a yearlong national emergency due to dwindling fuel supplies.
European Outlook: Shell’s CEO warned that Europe could face acute fuel shortages by April as the “ripple effect” of supply disruptions moves from Asia to the West.
Canada’s Role: The Canadian Energy Minister stated that Canada is positioning itself as a “reliable supplier” to fill the vacuum left by the conflict.
Productive day today! You didn’t think you could do it, but here you are! Treat yourself today, you deserve it.
I’m not going to lie, I went to my Karachi neighbourhood Fresh Basket every day of Eid to avail a 40 percent off, limited time discount on my bank card. I love their dry fruit and nuts and just checked online and they have nationwide delivery! Definitely try the roasted corn, the cheese cashews and thank us later!
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