U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) attend the Peace Council meeting during the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2026.
Harun Ozalp | Anadolu | Getty Images
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan is ready to host talks between the United States and Iran aimed at a “comprehensive solution” to the ongoing war.
“Pakistan welcomes and fully supports continued efforts to pursue dialogue to end the wars in the Middle East with a view to peace and stability in the region and beyond,” Sharif said on the X program.
“Subject to the consent of the United States and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honored to be the host country to facilitate meaningful and decisive talks towards a comprehensive solution to the ongoing conflict.”
The post tagged the social media profiles of President Donald Trump, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Late Tuesday morning, President Trump shared a screenshot of Sharif’s post on his platform Truth Social.
The message followed reports that regional leaders were conducting behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to broker an end to the conflict, which has left thousands dead and wreaked havoc on the global economy less than a month after it began.
However, much remains unclear about the situation between the United States and Iran, which have made contradictory claims about the status of talks.
At the same time that diplomatic efforts appear to be making progress, the Pentagon is reportedly preparing plans to send about 3,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday afternoon, citing two U.S. officials, that a written order to deploy these troops to support operations in Iran is expected to be issued within hours.
The reported deployment follows at least two major U.S. deployments to the Middle East in recent days and will join tens of thousands of troops already in the region.
The US has not ordered any boots on the ground. “I’m not going to send the military anywhere,” Trump told reporters last week, but added, “If I were to, I would never say so.”
Asked about the Journal report, an Army spokesperson told CNBC, “I can tell you that the 82nd Airborne Division is currently located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.”
President Trump said Monday that U.S. negotiators and Iranian negotiators had been in “very strong talks” as recently as Sunday evening.
Following the purported results of those talks, President Trump on Saturday said he was postponing an ultimatum to Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face major attacks on power plants and energy infrastructure.
U.S. stocks rose following the announcement. However, Iranian officials denied that such discussions took place.
CNN reported on Tuesday that Iranian sources said that although serious negotiations have not yet begun, the US has begun “assistance” to Iran.
The statement also contradicts President Trump’s statement on Monday that Iran has contacted the United States: “I haven’t called. They have called. They want a deal.”
The Washington Post, citing U.S. and foreign officials, reported Tuesday morning that Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey mediated the negotiations between Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Araghchi.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the foreign ministers of those countries and Saudi Arabia met in Riyadh on Thursday for talks to end the war diplomatically.
But last week, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Trump to continue fighting Iran, The New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the conversation by U.S. officials.
This is developing news. Please check back for the latest information.
—CNBC’s Ryan Ruggiero contributed to this report.
