ISLAMABAD: The US-Iran peace deal faced new pressure Friday as Pakistan, Qatar and other regional mediators tried to de-escalate renewed fighting and revive nuclear negotiations, Axios reported.
The effort followed US airstrikes on Iran and Iranian attacks on US-linked targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Axios quoted a regional source involved in the mediation as saying that diplomats were first trying to secure de-escalation from both sides. The mediators then wanted to set a date for another round of technical talks.
The mediators believe earlier talks made progress toward a nuclear deal despite the latest escalation, according to Axios. They want to prevent the interim peace framework from collapsing.
Pakistan emerged as a key intermediary after hosting direct talks between senior US and Iranian officials in Islamabad earlier this year.
Those talks later fed into the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Thursday.
Iranian state media reported. Araghchi accused Washington of breaching the Pakistan-brokered framework.
Pakistan has not publicly commented on the call. Its military has also issued no readout, and Islamabad has disclosed few details about its mediation role.
Iran’s Health Ministry said two days of US airstrikes killed at least 14 people and wounded 78. United States Central Command said it hit 90 targets across Iran.
Read: US Denies Strikes: Iran Explosions Hit Konarak and Bushehr
Kuwait said falling debris wounded one person after it intercepted three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile and 10 drones. Bahrain said it intercepted incoming fire, while Qatar reported no immediate damage.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence said at least 576 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in June, compared with 233 in May. More than 3,100 ships used the strait in June 2025.
