A high-level Pakistani delegation has traveled to Iran to facilitate a new round of negotiations between Iran and the United States, just a week before their current fragile truce is set to expire. Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir is leading the delegation, which arrived in Tehran on Wednesday evening, according to Iranian state media. He reportedly brought a new message from the US and aims to coordinate a second round of US-Iran talks, following an initial round in Islamabad that concluded on Sunday without a deal to end the war.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is also participating in the mediation efforts in Tehran, while Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is currently in Saudi Arabia, marking the first stop of a four-day Gulf tour.
This diplomatic push from Pakistan comes amidst escalating tensions caused by competing US and Iranian sea blockades, which are straining the global economy. However, there are also indications of progress towards a deal to end the war, which has claimed 3,000 lives in Iran and spread instability across the Middle East.
Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Islamabad, stated, “The urgency is being driven by the ceasefire expiring on April 22, and Pakistani officials are hoping they can get that extended.” She added that Sharif intends to persuade regional partners to leverage their influence to convince the US to engage in new talks with Iran and ensure no diplomatic boundaries are crossed.
Optimistic comments from US President Donald Trump appear to bolster the latest mediation efforts. Trump suggested the world should prepare for an “amazing two days” as the war with Iran is nearing its end. He also indicated that his negotiators would likely return to Pakistan, largely crediting Munir’s “great job” in moderating the discussions. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that additional talks with Iran would likely proceed in Islamabad, telling reporters on Wednesday, “We feel good about the prospects of a deal.”
Despite the optimism, the US military affirmed that its naval blockade on all Iranian ports remains in effect, with US forces “present, vigilant and ready to ensure compliance.” US Central Command reported that the blockade, which Iran’s military condemned as a ceasefire violation, had turned away nine ships as of Wednesday. The commander of Iran’s joint military command, Ali Abdollahi, threatened to halt regional trade if the US did not lift its blockade. He also warned of Iranian retaliation by blocking trade through the Red Sea, the Gulf, and the Sea of Oman.
Mediators in the conflict are striving for a compromise on three primary sticking points: Iran’s nuclear program, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and compensation for wartime damages. Iran’s Foreign Minister spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Iran is open to discussing the type and level of its uranium enrichment but insisted that his country, “based on its needs, must be able to continue enrichment,” according to Iranian state media.
Sources informed Al Jazeera that Pakistani mediators are optimistic about a potential major breakthrough on the nuclear front, which is the primary reason for Munir’s rare diplomatic trip. However, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Doha, cautioned, “It looks like there is some agreement in the making, but we’ve been cautioned by sources [close to the mediation effort] that there are detractors on all sides.” He identified these detractors as elements “in Tehran, in Washington, DC, and biggest of them all, according to Pakistani sources, is Israel, which does not want a peace deal and wants a perpetual war in the region.”
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