Pakistan pushes for fresh US-Iran direct talks
Despite a deadlock over Tehran’s nuclear program, Pakistan continues to push Washington and Iran toward another round of direct negotiations. Islamabad remains hopeful that face-to-face dialogue would yield more progress than back-channel messaging, even as both sides hold firm on their core demands.
Pakistan is intensifying diplomatic efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table for direct talks, as outstanding disagreements—particularly over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions—remain unresolved, two Pakistani government sources told Anadolu.
No breakthrough yet on nuclear issue
“Both sides are exchanging formulas and messages through Islamabad to break the ice. However, there is no breakthrough so far as the two sides stand firm on their stance on the nuclear issue,” the sources said. Pakistan’s current diplomatic push, coordinated with regional allies, aims to convince both parties to hold a fresh round of direct negotiations in Islamabad. Islamabad believes that direct engagement would prove “more fruitful” than relying on third-party intermediaries.
High-level regional contacts
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar have reached out to Qatari, Saudi, and Egyptian leaders over the past 24 hours to discuss ways out of the stalemate. Additionally, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other officials on Sunday in a fresh bid to revive a second round of US-Iran talks to end the conflict. “Although there is no breakthrough yet in terms of a shift in positions on the nuclear issue, both sides are still seriously pursuing diplomacy to resolve the conflict,” the sources added.
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Divergent paths to a ceasefire
According to a 14-point Iranian proposal, Tehran seeks separate negotiations on its nuclear program—including enriched uranium issues—within 30 days after a permanent ceasefire is reached. Washington, however, insists that the nuclear matter must be “discussed and resolved” before any permanent truce. Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire on April 8, followed by high-level talks in Islamabad on April 11-12, but no final agreement emerged. Since then, both sides have traded proposals while the conflict continues to disrupt global energy supplies and regional daily life.
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