We are now in the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, the sacred month of Hajj during which Muslims are prohibited from engaging in warfare. This prohibition originates from the Holy Qur’an and was also practised by our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). For more than 40 days now (since April 8th), the ceasefire brokered between Tehran and Washington by Pakistan has held against all odds. Almost 40 days of war were followed by more than 40 days of peace. In Islam, 40 is a sacred number symbolising a complete cycle of patience or reflection. Will the ceasefire result in a lasting peace agreement, or will hostilities break out again after Eid? That is the question on everyone’s mind.

One thing is clear, however: had it not been for Pakistan’s military leadership, we would have been facing much worse than this seemingly endless uncertainty in the region. They say that “fortune favours the brave”, and our Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, backed by military intelligence, took the chance to facilitate the Islamabad Talks on April 11–12 between the two foes who had not met face to face since the 1979 revolution took place in Iran.

In those heady days of April when the peace talks between the US and Iran took place in Islamabad’s Serena Hotel, with the verdant Margalla Hills laden with clouds in the background promising hope, the entire world focused its attention on us. Pakistan was being talked about for all the right reasons – as a peacemaker and a trusted facilitator.

Since last year’s skirmish with India in May, when the well-prepared Pakistan Air Force gave the enemy a resounding thrashing over the skies of the subcontinent, we all could not have felt prouder when Pakistan stabilised the ceasefire and came close to negotiating a potential end to the 2026 Iran War. Unfortunately, the talks broke down abruptly, and the US Vice President JD Vance flew out of the capital after thanking us in a short press conference. Since then, we, along with the rest of the world, have been waiting wearily for round 2 while bracing for the impacts of increasing petrol prices and rising food inflation.

A lot of stories have come out in the media since then, criticising Pakistan’s role and muddying the process. Let’s not forget that just before the pause in the war, President Trump had warned in a social media post that: “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” The Iranians pride themselves on being one of the world’s oldest continuous civilisations. In Iran, there is a well-known saying: “We are Persians first, then Muslims, then Shias”.

Since the ceasefire, Trump has set deadlines for the resumption of hostilities half a dozen times and each time he has backed off

Thankfully, Trump withdrew his threat of intensified military action by accepting Iran’s conditions for a truce, brokered by Pakistan, led by his “favourite Field Marshal”. The Iranians trusted us, the Americans trusted us, and until today, the trust has held. Just yesterday, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi flew into Tehran to convey a message to the Iranian leadership, and there are reports that the Field Marshal, the main architect behind the current mediation efforts, has also reached Tehran today.

For the last month and a half, Pakistan’s military leadership has been patiently, discreetly and tirelessly pushing these negotiations at the highest level. An insider to these talks explained: “Both the US and Iran don’t want to go back to war. They both know the only way out is a negotiated settlement. The problem is Israel and its war-mongering”. Israel’s position is very clear – the Zionist regime wants endless war in the Middle East as that is the only way it can ever hope to redraw its boundaries and achieve its stated goal of “Greater Israel”.

Since the ceasefire, Trump has set deadlines for the resumption of hostilities half a dozen times and each time he has backed off. He even cited recently that “at the request of a very nice group of people from Pakistan who are very close to Iran, I didn’t go that final step.” These words have now turned into a global meme on social media.

Trump’s latest threat to strike Iran was earlier this week, to which Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman responded in his weekly press briefing: “If any reckless action is taken, we will respond with full force. I assure you that our armed forces will certainly unveil ‘new surprises’ for the enemy.” This time, Trump called off the strikes at the request of the Gulf states, as he explained that “serious negotiations are now taking place”. In a social media post, he said he had been asked to do so by the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Not allowing hundreds of vessels to transit the strategic waterway has led to rising inflation and fuel prices in the United States and across the world

Last week, Saudi Arabia’s seasoned diplomat, Prince Turki Al Faisal, who has served as the ambassador to the US, wrote in an article published in Arab News that Israel had attempted to involve Saudi Arabia in the conflict with Iran to impose its regional dominance. “Had the Israeli plan to ignite war between us and Iran succeeded, the region would have been plunged into ruin and destruction,” he wrote. Prince Turki praised Saudi Arabia’s handling of the consequences of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, saying the Kingdom had played a key role in preventing a wider regional escalation. Again, in this situation as well, Pakistan played a positive role, given its strategic military alliance with Saudi Arabia to counsel restraint and to give peace a chance.

According to Saudi Arabia and Oman, which strongly opposed the war from the outset, Prince Turki said that “Israel dragged Trump into this dangerous adventure”, a view that is now almost universally held. Prince Turki added that: “Netanyahu’s strategic blindness is very clear”.

It is now evident that the Trump administration had to strike a ceasefire deal after it could not meet its goals of regime change in Iran, and that is when Pakistan stepped up as the adult in the region. This week, a New York Times report, citing a source in the US military, said Iran “has demonstrated enormous resilience and the ability to inflict significant damage to the region and on the global economy”.

The report further added that Iran has adjusted its tactics for any resumption of strikes and warned that Iran’s downing of the F-15E jet and F-35 jets “revealed that American flight tactics had become too predictable in ways that allowed Iran to defend against them more capably.” Iran has also cleared the entrances of the underground caves and other facilities for its ballistic missiles, which have been carved out of granite mountains that are difficult to destroy.

Iran says it is open to dialogue to bring an end to the war, but that it will not give in to bullying and pressure. Iran’s demands encompass ending the war on all fronts, including Israeli strikes in Lebanon, lifting the US naval blockade, releasing Iran’s property and assets, compensation for the damages caused by the war, and ending all unilateral sanctions. It seems that they also want to keep control over the Strait of Hormuz. Not allowing hundreds of vessels to transit the strategic waterway has led to rising inflation and fuel prices in the United States and across the world.

The war also remains deeply unpopular in the US, with a recent poll finding that 64 percent of voters said Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran was the wrong one. Clearly, Trump wants a face-saving exit from the war. The latest news is that Pakistan and Qatar have drafted a blueprint for a formal end to the war and the US and Iran are inching towards signing a framework for comprehensive talks, which will formally announce the end of the war and give 30 days to finalise the objectives agreed upon. Kudos to our military leadership for their persistence and perseverance. We can only pray now that peace and not war prevail after Eid.