Pakistan Ready to Facilitate US-Iran Negotiations
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has stated its readiness to facilitate negotiations between the United States (US) and Iran to achieve a resolution to the conflict through diplomatic channels, if both parties desire it.
“If the parties wish, Islamabad is always ready to host talks,” said spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Tahir Andrabi, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
“We consistently encourage dialogue and diplomacy to promote peace and stability in the region,” he added.
The statement comes a day after US President Donald Trump delayed for five days his threat to attack Iranian power facilities. Trump also claimed that Washington and Tehran are engaged in “very good talks”.
However, Iran has denied any negotiations with the US. Nevertheless, several media reports from the US and Israel indicate that countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey have acted as intermediaries in recent days, conveying messages between Tehran and Washington.
Several reports also mention the possibility of a meeting between US and Iranian representatives in Islamabad in the near future, although there has been no official confirmation from either side.
Amid these diplomatic efforts, intensive communications have also been conducted by high-level Pakistani officials. Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir spoke with Trump on Sunday. The following day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif contacted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also held separate talks with his counterparts from Iran and Turkey.
On the other hand, differences in stance remain evident. The US government continues to voice the possibility of negotiations, while Iran rejects those reports.
The developing situation is considered not easy for both parties, especially for Iran, which faces a high level of distrust towards the US.
Iran has previously been involved in two rounds of negotiations in the past year, but amid the process, it faced airstrikes. This condition is seen as further complicating the prospects for diplomatic engagement.
Tehran has emphasised the main condition for opening diplomatic channels. As long as airstrikes continue, ceasefire talks are deemed irrelevant.
However, if the intensity of attacks decreases, the opportunity to reopen negotiations remains, albeit very limited.