Inside Pakistan's High-Stakes Gamble on Trump

The Roosevelt Hotel with its Italian Renaissance style facade used to be a happening spot, a choice location when Hollywood visited New York.

But ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasy. The reality is, last year it was a migrant center.

Today it's shuttered. And yet its owners say it's worth a billion dollars and they've called in help from this guy.

Oh, and who are the owners? That would be the Pakistan government. It is one of Pakistan's most valuable foreign assets.

In February 2026, Steve Witkoff, one of Trump's closest advisors, helped broker a deal for the US government and Pakistan to jointly redevelop the hotel.

But recent deals between the Trump administration and Pakistan have extended beyond the hospitality scene.

Markets are waiting for Islamabad as delegations from Iran and the United States prepare for talks in Pakistan, the ceasefire remains fragile.

Pakistan has done something impossible. Pakistan brought the US and Iran together on one table after 50 years.

This was a deliberate attempt by Pakistan to make itself a global player. That peace hasn't lasted.

The ceasefire between the US and Iran has collapsed. But Pakistan hopes its role as mediator has more longevity.

So this has really been Pakistan's shining moment. So how did Pakistan become one of Trump's favorite diplomatic partners and can it capitalize on it?

I would like to nominate this great president for Nobel Peace Prize. That's Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.