Pakistan has emerged as an intermediary in backroom negotiations between Washington and Iran.

Beijing and Islamabad issued a joint 5-point peace initiative to “restore peace and stability” in the region, according to statements by Pakistan’s and China’s foreign ministries on social media. The plan,

By Saad Sayeed April 2 (Reuters) - A diplomatic outcast a year ago, Pakistan has become a trusted regional partner and a mediator between the U.S. and Iran to end the war in the Middle East, a remarkable transformation for the South Asian nation driven mostly by its powerful military chief,

A high-ranking Iranian official has accused the U.S. of planning a ground invasion as part of the next stage in the Iran war, and said such an intervention would be met with force.

Last week, it reportedly relayed a 15-point US peace plan to Iran and offered to host talks - an offer Tehran rejected. This week, Pakistan took the lead again, with its foreign minister flying to Beijing to seek Chinese backing for a five-point peace plan to end the conflict.

China’s “five-point proposal” is structured to avoid friction or controversy. That’s not a recipe for solving conflict.

Pakistan has emerged as an unlikely mediator in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran even as it engages in its most severe fighting in decades with neighboring Afghanistan.

Pakistan is considering options that include allowing other ships to ferry vital cargoes under its flag, after Iran said it would allow 20 of the nation’s vessels through the Strait of Hormuz — more than it currently has in the area.