PM Shehbaz requests Trump to give Iran a two-week extension.

Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, has urged Trump to extend his deadline for an agreement with Iran by two weeks and to allow Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz during that time. He claims that current diplomatic efforts are promising and should be allowed to continue.

PM Shehbaz stated in a post on the social media platform X that diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are moving forward steadily, forcefully, and powerfully with the potential to produce significant outcomes soon.

“I humbly ask President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks to allow diplomacy to run its course,” stated Shehbaz Sharif.

Additionally, PM Shehbaz urged Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz “as a goodwill gesture” for the same two weeks.

“In the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region, we also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war,” he continued.

WHITE HOUSE: PM SHEHBAZ’S PROPOSAL TO TRUMP

The White House claims that Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, has informed Trump of his proposal. There will be a response, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

This relates to the issue of the official diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran being undermined in recent days, following the US president’s consecutive warnings on Monday and over the weekend.

Diplomats are telling us in private that reaching a comprehensive agreement and striking any kind of grand bargain will be extremely challenging.

Because of this, there appears to be a shift toward temporary measures, such as the mediation of third parties like Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan, which is what we are currently witnessing.

Both the US and Iran are publicly displaying a posture of strength rather than one of compromise. Because of this, it is quite difficult to envision anything other than this extremely limited diplomatic window where at least a temporary solution can be reached.

Instead of a huge deal, they are looking for a two-week ceasefire that could result in something more long-lasting.