ISLAMABAD (AP) — While the United States and Iran were exchanging military strikes on June 11, a plane carrying Qatari diplomats sat grounded on a runway in Tehran, unable to leave.
Those mediators had been working through the night in urgent talks aimed at preventing the conflict from escalating into an all-out war, according to a diplomat who was briefed on the negotiations.
That moment on the tarmac captured the chaotic nature of the diplomatic effort — led by Pakistan and Qatar — that ultimately produced last week’s agreement to end a war that had thrown the Middle East into turmoil and taken a toll on the global economy.
It was just one of several flashpoints during which social media threats or actual military action nearly derailed the process. Efforts to implement the deal now face similar obstacles, including continued fighting in Lebanon and threats involving the Strait of Hormuz.
This behind-the-scenes account of the diplomacy that led to the interim agreement is drawn from AP interviews with three Pakistani officials, two regional officials, and the diplomat. All spoke anonymously given the sensitivity of the closed-door discussions.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when asked for comment, pointed to previous public statements and confirmed the country will continue its mediating role. The White House declined to respond. Representatives for Qatar and Iran did not reply to requests for comment.
On the same day the Qatari plane was stuck on the runway, U.S. President Donald Trump again threatened military action, warning that the U.S. would strike Iran
