The White House broadly approved Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's social media post Tuesday that urged a ceasefire with Iran before it was published, according to a CNN report Thursday.
Senior administration officials had been in contact with Pakistani counterparts, clarifying what Washington specifically needed to agree to a ceasefire, said CNN, citing sources familiar with the talks.
The New York Times separately reported that the White House saw and approved the statement before Sharif posted it.
A White House official acknowledged prior communication but denied to CNN any direct involvement in drafting the post. The Pakistani prime minister informed the US team he was putting out the statement, the official said, but stressed that the White House did not write it and that President Donald Trump had not seen it until it was published.
Speculation about Washington's role intensified after the post briefly appeared with the words "Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X" visible.
The Financial Times reported earlier that the ceasefire was largely a US-driven initiative, with the Trump administration working behind the scenes for weeks while Trump publicly threatened to destroy Iranian infrastructure, in contrast to the administration's portrayal of Iran as having "begged" for a deal.
Iran and the US announced a two-week truce Tuesday aimed at paving the way for a final agreement to end the war, which has left thousands dead and wounded since Feb. 28.
The first round of formal negotiations is scheduled Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan.
