US-Iran Indirect Negotiations Enter Final Stage, Reports Say

Indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran have entered their final stage, Al-Hadath television reported on Thursday, citing a senior official. The source stated that the talks, conducted through mediators, are in their concluding phase.

It was also reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit Pakistan at the weekend or early next week. A senior Pakistani source told RIA Novosti on Wednesday that Araghchi is scheduled to visit Pakistan on 7 August.

During the visit, he will be received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Asim Munir, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. On 10 July, amid a resurgence of conflict between Iran and the US, Sharif expressed Islamabad’s readiness to continue acting as a mediator between the two countries.

Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum on 18 June to end the conflict that began on 28 February. However, on 8 July, US President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire was no longer in effect. Since then, US forces have launched several attacks against Iran. The US Central Command stated the strikes were a response to Iranian actions against commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces retaliated by launching attacks on several US military bases in the Middle East.