Washington: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has publicly appealed to US President Donald Trump to extend a key deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to proceed in the escalating West Asia crisis, as the White House signalled it is reviewing the proposal.
“The President has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told IANS, offering the first official reaction to Islamabad’s outreach.
Sharif, in a statement posted on X, said diplomatic efforts were “progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future.” He urged Washington to “extend the deadline for two weeks” to give negotiations space.
The Pakistani PM also called for immediate de-escalation measures across the region. “Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture,” he said.
He further urged “all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region.”
The appeal comes at a critical moment in the fast-moving crisis, where Washington has signalled both willingness for negotiations and readiness for escalation. In remarks over the past 48 hours, Trump administration officials have repeatedly underscored that the next steps depend on Tehran’s actions, while warning of consequences if diplomacy fails.
Iran has until 8 p.m. EST to respond to Trump’s offer for a deal.
Vice President J.D. Vance had said “the ball is in the Iranians’ court,” adding that the United States does not seek escalation but retains the ability to “exact much, much greater pain.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, has blamed Iran for disruptions to global shipping routes, highlighting the strategic importance of maritime stability.
(IANS)
