Pakistan, Egypt Step Up Diplomacy as Trump’s Iran Deadline Looms

A heavily damaged building following strikes in Tehran, on April 6.Photographer: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

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April 7, 2026 at 9:52 AM UTC

Pakistan and Egypt ramped up diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war with a flurry of calls in the past 24 hours before President Donald Trump’s deadline to escalate the conflict expires.

Both Pakistan and Egypt have been relaying messages between Washington and Tehran to help de-escalate the conflict, which is now in its fifth week. Trump said Monday that Vice President JD Vance was talking to Iran through Pakistani intermediaries. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday he held talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.