Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for what he described as their important contribution to Washington’s ongoing diplomatic engagement with Tehran, Bloomberg reported.
He said Pakistan was a “true friend” of the United States and added that both Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Munir were playing an “outstanding” role in facilitating peace negotiations.
According to the US defence secretary, Islamabad has been actively working to bring Iran and Washington back to the negotiating table in an effort to revive stalled peace talks after six weeks of conflict.
However, a final agreement remains out of reach. A White House official told AFP that President Donald Trump would only accept a deal with Iran if all his conditions are met.
The White House had earlier suggested that Trump was close to making a decision on a potential agreement, even as Tehran insisted that no final settlement had been reached to end the conflict.
Iranian state media also rejected parts of Trump’s account, calling his statements a “mixture of truth and lies.”
Trump has repeatedly insisted that Iran must abandon any nuclear weapons ambitions and agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, among other demands.
He reiterated this position on Friday ahead of a two-hour meeting at the White House Situation Room, which ended without a final decision on the proposed deal.
Tensions in the region escalated after the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate against US bases and effectively disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, impacting global energy markets.
The conflict reportedly ended after Pakistan helped broker a two-week ceasefire on April 8 and later facilitated direct talks between Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad—the first such engagement in nearly 47 years.
Although the discussions ended without agreement, with disputes over Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes and the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan continued diplomatic efforts to extend the ceasefire and encourage further dialogue.
On Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly thanked Pakistan for its “initiative and effective efforts” in supporting negotiations with the United States, following phone calls with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Washington has also repeatedly acknowledged Pakistan’s role as a key mediator in ongoing contacts with Tehran, according to officials cited in the report.
