Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir meet US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC on September 25, 2025. Photo: Handout
US President Donald Trump heaped praise on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Defense Chief and Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday after a breakthrough in Iran’s announcement to open the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels.
In a post on Truth Social, he said: “Thanks to Pakistan and its great Prime Minister and Field Marshal, two amazing people!”
Pakistan-US relations saw a significant thaw in 2025-2026, moving from a cold period to a warm, strategic and pragmatic engagement during President Donald Trump’s second term. This shift was largely driven by a major reset in relations following President Trump’s intervention in regional conflicts, particularly his role in brokering a May 2025 ceasefire between Pakistan and India.
The first thaw in Pakistan-US relations came via covert counterterrorism exchanges, signaling significant cooperation. Last March, Trump unexpectedly praised Pakistan’s fight against terrorism during a national address, prompting a policy shift.
The brief but intense skirmish in May with India in May 2025 was a decisive turning point that demonstrated Pakistan’s military discipline, strategic focus and asymmetric capabilities – qualities that reportedly surprised Trump.
Despite India’s repeated denials, Prime Minister Shehbaz continued to praise President Trump for his role in brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbors and nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying his intervention had helped save millions of lives.
That praise was reciprocated, with Trump praising the prime minister and also praising CDF Munir as he repeated claims that he had helped avert a war between Pakistan and India in May 2025.
Ties between the countries took a further turn when Trump invited Munir to a lunch – the first such meeting for a Pakistani military chief – followed by a red-carpet visit to the US Central Command headquarters for high-level talks.
Following a ceasefire following the protracted war in Gaza, Trump announced the formation of a “Peace Council” that included Pakistan, again singling out Sharif for praise during its inaugural summit.
Addressing the event, Trump said, “I like this guy,” referring to Sharif as he recounted efforts that led to last year’s ceasefire between Pakistan and India. He also praised Munir during his remarks.
Earlier this year, the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on February 28, killing dozens of top military officials, including then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei, before a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan earlier this week.
Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, and restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for oil and gas shipments.
Fighting later spread to Lebanon after Israel launched an offensive there, widening the conflict as the US and Israel continued attacks on Iran.
As the conflict continued to widen and intensify, Pakistan emerged as a mediator along with other regional powers in the escalating crisis. As the negotiation process began, the US and Iran exchanged their respective positions, but early discussions yielded no progress. But after sustained diplomatic efforts by Pakistan, both sides agreed to hold talks in Islamabad last week.
But Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement in Islamabad over the weekend during talks that were part of a broader effort to end the conflict.
Later, Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which took effect at 1400 GMT Monday.
Although the talks ended without a breakthrough, they left a measure of hope, with both sides indicating a willingness to continue negotiations. Efforts resumed this week, with Trump expressing optimism about reaching a deal soon.
With another round of dialogue expected as early as this weekend, Iran took a step toward de-escalation by announcing the reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to all commercial shipping.
