US President Donald Trump (R) and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (L) attend the Peace Council meeting held during the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 22, 2026.
Harun Ozalp | Anadolu | getty images
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said his country is willing to host talks between the US and Iran for a “comprehensive solution” to the ongoing war.
“Pakistan welcomes and fully supports the ongoing efforts to advance negotiations to end the war in the Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in the region and beyond,” Sharif said on X.
“Subject to the consent of the US and Iran, Pakistan is ready and honored to be the host to facilitate meaningful and decisive negotiations for a comprehensive resolution of the current conflict,” he said.
The posts tagged the social media profiles of President Donald Trump, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Trump, on his Satya Social Platformshared a screenshot of Sharif’s post on Tuesday morning.
The messaging noted that regional leaders are engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to help end the conflict, resulting in thousands of deaths And it has wreaked havoc on the global economy since it began less than a month ago.
But much remains unclear about where things stand between the US and Iran, who have made contradictory claims about the status of their discussions.
At the same time, as diplomatic efforts appear to be evolving, the Pentagon is also evolving Allegedly Plans are being drawn up to deploy about 3,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.
A written order to deploy those troops to support operations in Iran is expected in the coming hours, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday afternoon, citing two U.S. officials.
The reported developments are as follows at least two others There has been a large US deployment to the Middle East in recent days, adding to the thousands of troops already stationed in the region.
America has not ordered boots on the ground. Trump told a reporter last week that he was “not sending troops anywhere,” but added, “If I did, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”
Asked about the Journal’s report, an Army spokesperson told CNBC, “I can tell you that the 82nd Airborne Division is currently at Fort Bragg, NC.”
Trump said on Monday that top US negotiators and their Iranian counterparts had been engaged in “very, very robust talks” as recently as Sunday evening.
As a result of those alleged negotiations, Trump said he would postpone He issued an ultimatum to Iran on Saturday to either open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face a major attack on its power plants and energy infrastructure.
US stocks rose on that announcement. However, Iranian officials denied that any such discussions had taken place.
cnn On Tuesday it was reported that an Iranian source said the US has begun “reaching out” to Iran, although full talks have not yet started.
The statement also contradicts Trump, who said on Monday that Iran had contacted the US: “I didn’t call. They called. They want to make a deal.”
Washington PostPakistan, Egypt and Turkey acted as mediators in the talks between Witkoff and Araghchi, it was reported Tuesday morning, citing US and foreign officials.
wall street journal The foreign ministers of those countries and Saudi Arabia were reported to have gathered in Riyadh on Thursday for talks on finding a diplomatic end to the war.
But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week pressured Trump to continue fighting Iran. the new York Times The report was issued by US officials citing people briefed on their conversations.
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.
– CNBC Ryan Ruggiero Contributed to this report.