As the clock ticked down to US President Donald Trump's deadline to destroy Iran's civilisation last week, hope emerged from an unlikely corner, with Pakistan's prime minister first seeking -- and within hours securing -- a two-week ceasefire between the warring sides.
Now, with a round of talks concluded in Islamabad and frantic negotiations underway to secure a second go, Pakistan is basking in its new role as a regional peacemaker, analysts say.
kAmQ!2<:DE2? G6CJ >F49 H2?ED E@ C:56 E96 >@>6?EF> E92E :E 92D 366? 6?;@J:?8 @G6C E96 =2DE 76H H66<D 2D 2 4C:E:42= >65:2E@C[Q |:4926= zF86=>2?[ D6?:@C $@FE9 pD:2 76==@H 2E E96 pE=2?E:4 r@F?4:=[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmxE :D 2 C6>2C<23=6 EFC?2C@F?5 7@C 2 $@FE9 pD:2? 4@F?ECJ =@?8 D66? :?E6C?2E:@?2==J E9C@F89 2 D64FC:EJ =6?D[ 2D :E 32EE=65 2C>65 6IEC6>:DED 2?5 D6A2C2E:DED 2E 9@>6 H9:=6 36:?8 244FD65 @7 DFAA@CE:?8 E96 %2=:32? :? p7892?:DE2?]k^Am
kAm%96 >65:2E@C @7 A6246 E2=<D 925 :ED6=7 ;FDE 7@F89E 32EE=6D H:E9 :ED ?6:893@FCD =2DE J62C \\ !2<:DE2? 7@F89E 2 3C:67 3FE :?E6?D6 H2C H:E9 x?5:2 :? |2J[ 2?5 EH@ C@F?5D @7 4@?7=:4E H:E9 ?6:893@FC:?8 p7892?:DE2?[ H96C6 xD=2>2325 244FD6D E96 %2=:32? 2FE9@C:E:6D @7 92C3@FC:?8 2C>65 8C@FAD]k^Am
kAm#2;2 "2:D6C p9>65[ 2 AC@76DD@C @7 :?E6C?2E:@?2= C6=2E:@?D 2E xD=2>2325VD "F2:5\:\pK2> &?:G6CD:EJ[ D2:5 !2<:DE2?VD C@3FDE >:=:E2CJ C6DA@?D6D :? 3@E9 4@?7=:4ED 96=A65 3FC?:D9 :ED C68:@?2= 4C656?E:2=D]k^Am
kAmQx? :?E6C?2E:@?2= A@=:E:4D[ E96 4FCC6?4J :D A@H6C[Q 96 D2:5] Q(96? J@F 92G6 56>@?DEC2E65 :E @A6C2E:@?2==J[ 2?5 ?@H J@F 2C6 ;FDE 3F:=5:?8 :E FA 5:A=@>2E:42==J]Qk^Am
kAmzF86=>2? 92:=65 !2<:DE2? 2D Q2? F?DF?8 DF446DD DE@CJ H96? :E 4@>6D E@ DEC2E68:4 2FE@?@>J]Qk^Am
kAmQ!2<:DE2? :D =@@<:?8 E@ 492?86 8=@32= A6C46AE:@?D 23@FE :ED 42A24:E:6D 2D 2 8=@32= A=2J6C[Q 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAmQxE 5@6D ?@E =:<6 E96 724E E92E :E 92D 2 A@@C 8=@32= :>286 2?5 H2?ED E@ 6DD6?E:2==J AFD9 324< 282:?DE :ED 4C:E:4D 2?5 D9@H E92E :E 92D E96 42A24:EJ E@ 27764E 492?86 2?5 36 :?7=F6?E:2= @? E96 8=@32= DE286]Qk^Am
k9am\ &?:BF6 86@8C2A9J \k^9am
kAm(96? E96 &$\xDC26= H2C @? xC2? 3C@<6 @FE[ BF:4<=J 6?8F=7:?8 E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ xD=2>2325 H2D 42C67F= ?@E E@ E2<6 D:56D 36EH66? (2D9:?8E@? 2?5 %69C2?]k^Am
kAm$:?46 &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A E@@< @77:46[ !2<:DE2? 92D D66? E:6D H2C> D:8?:7:42?E=J[ 27E6C xD=2>2325 =2F565 9:> 7@C 92G:?8 96=A65 >65:2E6 E96 6?5 @7 E96 4@?7=:4E H:E9 x?5:2] s6=9: 56?:6D (2D9:?8E@? A=2J65 2 D:8?:7:42?E C@=6]k^Am
kAmp G:D:E E@ (2D9:?8E@? 3J !2<:DE2?: !| $96932K $92C:7 2?5 A@H6C7F= 2C>J 49:67 pD:> |F?:C 7@==@H65[ H:E9 %CF>A ?@H @7E6? C676CC:?8 E@ E96 =2EE6C 2D 9:D Q72G@FC:E6 7:6=5 >2CD92=Q]k^Am
kAm!2<:DE2? D92C6D 2 h__\<> 3@C56C H:E9 xC2?[ H:E9 H9@> :E 92D >2:?E2:?65 H2C> \\ :7 D@>6E:>6D E6DEJ \\ C6=2E:@?D[ H:E9 E96 4@F?EC:6D D92C:?8 D:8?:7:42?E 4F=EFC2= 2?5 EC256 E:6D]k^Am
kAmt2C=J @? $F?52J[ H96? &$ ':46 !C6D:56?E ys '2?46 E@@< E96 A@5:F> :? xD=2>2325 E@ 564=2C6 E92E ?@ 28C66>6?E 925 366? C624965 27E6C >2C2E9@? a`\9@FC E2=<D[ 96 H2D 2=D@ BF:4< E@ AC2:D6 !2<:DE2?]k^Am
kAmw6 E92?<65 $92C:7 2?5 |F?:C 3J ?2>6[ D2J:?8 E96J Q5:5 2? 2>2K:?8 ;@3 2?5 C62==J EC:65 E@ 96=A FD 2?5 E96 xC2?:2?D 3C:586 E96 82A 2?5 86E E@ 2 562=]Qk^Am
kAmxC2?VD E@A ?68@E:2E@C |@92>>25 q2896C v92=:327 925 D:>:=2C H@C5D @7 E92?<D]k^Am
kAmpD:7 sFCC2?:[ 2 7@C>6C !2<:DE2?: 2>32DD25@C E@ %69C2?[ D2:5 !2<:DE2? 925 AC@G6? :ED :>A@CE2?46 H:E9 E96 E2=<D[ 6G6? :7 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 5:5 ?@E =625 E@ 2 562=]k^Am
kAmQx E9:?< !2<:DE2? :D 2 A@H6C E@ 36 C64<@?65[ 2?5 G6CJ >F49 !2<:DE2? :D 2 A=2J6C] xED 86@8C2A9J :D D@ F?:BF6 E92E :E 42??@E 36 :8?@C65[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmpD 2 ?6:893@FC @7 r9:?2 2D H6==[ !2<:DE2? 92D 4F=E:G2E65 8@@5 C6=2E:@?D H:E9 q6:;:?8[ H9:49 5:A=@>2ED 2?5 %CF>A 9:>D6=7 92G6 D2:5 H2D <6J :? 86EE:?8 xC2? E@ E96 ?68@E:2E:?8 E23=6]k^Am
kAm!2<:DE2? 2=D@ 92D 4=@D6 E:6D H:E9 E96 vF=7 ?2E:@?D E92E 92G6 366? AF==65 :?E@ E96 4@?7=:4E 3J xC2?:2? C6E2=:2E@CJ 24E:@?] %92E :?4=F56D $2F5: pC23:2[ H:E9 H9@> :E 92D 2 >FEF2= 5676?46 A24E]k^Am
kAm~? |@?52J[ !2<:DE2?: !| $92C:7 D2:5 677@CED C6>2:?65 F?56CH2J E@ 4@?E:?F6 ?68@E:2E:@?D[ 2?5 2 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 E2=<D C6>2:?65 2 A@DD:3:=:EJ]k^Am
kAm'2?46[ 9@H6G6C[ 92D E2<6? 2 92C56C =:?6[ DF886DE:?8 :? 2? :?E6CG:6H @? u@I }6HD E92E H9:=6 7FCE96C E2=<D H6C6 A@DD:3=6[ E96C6 H2D Q?@ 7=6I:3:=:EJQ @? xC2?VD ?F4=62C AC@8C2>>6]k^Am
kAmu@C zF86=>2?[ 6G6? :7 E96C6 :D 2 C6EFC? E@ 7:89E:?8[ !2<:DE2? H@F=5 DE:== 6>6C86 H:E9 :ED :?E6C?2E:@?2= :>286 6?92?465]k^Am
kAmQx E9:?< E92E 6G6? :7 E96 H2C C6DF>6D[ :E H:== ?@E DF776C C6AFE2E:@?2= 4@DE] x H@F=5 2C8F6 E92E :7 2?JE9:?8[ :EVD 6?;@J65 C6AFE2E:@?2= 3@@DE 3642FD6 :EVD 366? 23=6 E@ AFD9 324< 282:?DE 4C:E:4:D> E92E :E 5@6D?VE 92G6 E96 42A24:EJ E@ AF== @77 E9:D EJA6 @7 5:A=@>24J[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2=D@ DEC6?8E96?65 :ED :>286] xEVD 366? 23=6 E@ AC@;64E :ED6=7 2D 2 A6246>2<6C]Qk^Am
kAmD>2\KK^292^9>?k^Am

