The White House quietly worked to broker a temporary ceasefire with Iran even as Donald Trump publicly ramped up threats, claiming Tehran was "begging" for a deal, according to people familiar with the discussions told FT.
For weeks, the Trump administration relied on Pakistan to act as an intermediary, urging it to persuade Iran to agree to a pause in hostilities that would allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Islamabad’s role as a Muslim-majority neighbour was seen as key to making the proposal acceptable to Tehran.
