Pakistan's top diplomat to visit Washington amid mediation efforts to end Iran war

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will pay a day-long official visit to Washington, DC, on Friday amid Islamabad's mediation efforts to end the Iran war, an official statement said.

Dar, who is currently in New York, where he attended the proceedings of the UN Security Council and other meetings, will depart for Washington to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a statement from Islamabad's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

During their meeting, the two sides will review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of "mutual interest."

The discussions will also focus on strengthening cooperation in key priority sectors and on Pakistan's efforts to promote regional peace and stability through "dialogue and diplomacy."

"The visit reflects Pakistan's commitment to further deepening its longstanding and broad-based partnership with the United States," the statement added.

Accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the foreign minister met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing before flying to New York.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February.

Tehran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.

Since then, the two sides have continued exchanging proposals and counterproposals in an effort to resume direct talks and end the conflict.