Pakistan making efforts to bring US, Iran back to negotiating table

Pakistani officials are continuing their efforts to persuade the US to return to the negotiating table with Iran, following the failure of talks in Islamabad over the weekend.

A source from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry told The New Arab that the discussions between Pakistani officials and members of the Iranian and American delegations took place in a positive atmosphere, suggesting that both sides still "wish to continue the dialogue".

As part of Pakistan's efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reportedly held talks with his Saudi, Egyptian, and Turkish counterparts, Faisal bin Farhan, Badr Abdelatty, and Hakan Fidan, respectively.

The Foreign Ministry said that the calls focused on coordinating efforts between the parties to maintain the ceasefire and de-escalate tensions, while also working to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table.

The mediators are also seeking to bridge the remaining gaps in the parties’ demands and aim to reach a deal that would see the end of the war in the Middle East, which has spilled across several countries and killed thousands of people.

According to the Axios website, citing an American official and a regional source, the mediators are hoping that a new round of talks could take place before the ceasefire expires on 21 April.

"We are not in a complete deadlock. The door is not closed yet. Both sides are bargaining. It’s a bazaar," the regional source was quoted as saying.

The US official added that a deal could be reached if Iran is willing to "show more flexibility" and accept that the US offer in Islamabad is the "best it will get".

On Sunday, US Vice President JD Vance and other members of the delegation left Islamabad after the 21-hour talks failed to yield any results.

While both parties largely agreed on the main points of a 10-point ceasefire plan, issues such as the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Lebanon, and Iran's nuclear programme remained obstacles.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused the US of moving the goalposts and maximising its demands, and added that Washington has to "do more" to gain Tehran’s trust. Araghchi said both parties were "inches away" from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

However, Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, said that the Islamabad talks "did not fail" but laid "the foundation for a diplomatic process".

The US and Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran on 28 February, aimed at multiple energy and nuclear sites and deliberately targeted several top officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

At least 3,375 people have been killed in the war, in which civilian sites were also hit.

The war has seen the Arab Gulf states, Iraq, and Lebanon also dragged into the conflict.