Beijing [China], May 13 (ANI): China has urged Pakistan to intensify its diplomatic mediation efforts in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States, particularly amid critical discussions surrounding the stability in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Chinese News Agency, Xinhua.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, conveyed the message during a phone conversation on Tuesday with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

During the call, Dar briefed Wang on Pakistan's recent diplomatic engagement aimed at facilitating discussions between Tehran and Washington. He also expressed gratitude for China's support and said Pakistan hopes to strengthen coordination with Beijing to play a constructive role in regional stability.

According to Xinhua, Wang 'reiterated China's principled position and commended Pakistan for facilitating US-Iran talks and helping extend the temporary ceasefire.'

He further 'expressed hope that Pakistan will maintain confidence and contribute to restoring regional peace at an early date, which is also the common aspiration of the international community.'

As reported by Xinhua, Wang said, 'China will continue to support Pakistan's mediation efforts and make its own contribution toward this end.'

Meanwhile, casting a long shadow over the ongoing diplomatic overtures in West Asia, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham bluntly stated on Tuesday (local time) that he does not 'trust' Pakistan, suggesting the United States should pivot to an alternative mediator for a truce with Iran.

The Senator's scathing assessment stemmed from allegations that Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, possibly shielding them from American airstrikes.

'I don't trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them. If they actually do have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me we should be looking maybe for somebody else to mediate. No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere,' Senator Graham remarked, highlighting a growing frustration with Islamabad's multifaceted involvement.

Senator Lindsey Graham asked US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth regarding Islamabad's neutrality in ongoing diplomatic efforts during a high-stakes testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The exchange focused on whether the presence of Iranian planes on Pakistani soil was 'consistent with [Pakistan] being a fair mediator.' While Secretary Hegseth attempted to sidestep the political friction by stating he did not want to get in the middle of negotiations, the Senator from South Carolina offered a sharp rebuttal.

Earlier, Pakistan officially confirmed that it has permitted Iranian military aircraft to utilise its strategic airbases amidst the recent conflict between the US and the Islamic Republic in West Asia.

Amid scrutiny over its role as the mediator in the negotiations between the two sides over reports that suggested Pakistan was letting Tehran use its airbases during the conflict, an official statement from the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday attempted to 'categorically reject' the news report that exposed the presence of Iranian aircraft at the Nur Khan Airbase.

However, the statement inadvertently confirmed the core of the allegations that Iranian military planes are indeed parked on Pakistani soil.

'The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bears no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement,' the statement claimed.

This came after recent reports by CBS News put Islamabad's mediation role under scrutiny, claiming that the country quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to use its airfields, possibly shielding them from American airstrikes during the conflict.

According to CBS News, citing two US officials, Pakistan had acted in support of Iran during the conflict while simultaneously attempting to maintain favourable ties with the United States. (ANI)