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Pakistan has played a key role in efforts to bring about a lasting peace between the US and Iran.
It has already hosted the first round of talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad and is pushing to bring delegations back to its capital for a series of further discussions.
Iran has so far rejected the possibility of returning for further talks, although a senior Iranian official has praised Pakistan's "positive" efforts in trying to remove obstacles hindering further negotiations.
Pakistan maintains good relations with both Washington and Tehran. It has been described as Iran's less hostile neighbor. Pakistan is home to the world's second-largest Shiite population, and its embassy in Washington has hosted Tehran's de facto mission since 1979.
On the other hand, its leaders have reached out to Trump, nominating him twice for the Nobel Peace Prize, Lazarus says. They also signed his “Peace Board” charter.
But, according to Lazarus, Pakistan has an ulterior motive: it is suffering from severe fuel supply disruptions and is aware of the "economic storm that will hit its struggling economy if the war is prolonged."
Who is Pakistan's strongest mediator?
Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has played a particularly important role in the negotiations.
Munir is "all-powerful" in Islamabad, Lazarus says. Even by the standards of military-dependent Pakistan, he has amassed rare power since ascending to the post of army chief in 2022.
His special role is based on his relationship with Trump, who described Munir as his "favorite marshal" last year.
The pair grew closer over Pakistan's conflict with India, which Trump claimed to have ended.
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