Iranian lawmaker Mohsen Zanganeh has mocked Pakistan's efforts to mediate between Tehran and Washington, alleging that even Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's tweets on the peace initiative were written by Americans.
Zanganeh made the remarks during a visit to Afghanistan, where he praised Kabul's support for Tehran while criticising Islamabad amid strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“The first time he tweeted, it was forwarded by Mr (Steve) Witkoff. Even their tweet was written by the Americans,” Zanganeh alleged, apparently referring to a post Sharif published on X on April 8.
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Sharif drew attention after posting a message urging US President Donald Trump to extend his deadline and allow diplomatic efforts to resolve the Middle East conflict more time.
The post initially began with the word “Draft”, which was subsequently removed in an edit. The oversight triggered widespread discussion on social media, with users poking fun at the apparent mistake.
In the message, Sharif asked Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks, saying diplomatic efforts were progressing and could yield substantive results. He also urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the same period as a goodwill gesture and called for a two-week ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.
The post tagged Trump, US Vice President JD Vance, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders.
Zanganeh, who heads the Economic Committee of Iran's Parliament, also praised Afghanistan for supporting Iran during its conflict with the United States, while taking aim at Pakistan's conduct.
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His comments come as Islamabad seeks to position itself as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington in the conflict that began on February 28.
Pakistan has sought to facilitate negotiations between the two sides, which agreed to a two-month ceasefire. However, tensions have persisted, with exchanges of fire reported around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Zanganeh's remarks add to the scrutiny of Pakistan's mediation efforts, questioning Islamabad's role as an intermediary even as it continues to pursue a diplomatic understanding between Washington and Tehran.
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