Pakistan Says It's Ready To Host Talks Aimed At Ending The Iran War

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that his country is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to end the Iran war.

The U.S. had agreed “in principle” to join talks in Pakistan, according to three Pakistani officials, one Egyptian official and a Gulf diplomat, while mediators were still working to convince Iran. The Pakistani officials said the “quiet diplomacy” had grown more complicated since news of it leaked.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide the details to the media. The State Department declined to comment on the reported efforts and referred instead to Trump’s comments about talks he says are underway directly between Iran and the U.S.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s office said he has been talking about the war this week with his counterparts in several countries. But Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf called the idea of negotiations “fakenews” — and an iranian military spokesman issued a newly defiant statement.

“Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, victorious and steadfast in defending Iran’s integrity, and this path will continue until complete victory,” Iranian state television quoted Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi as saying Tuesday.

Aliabadi did not say what victory would look like, but Iran’s military could be trying to warn against offering concessions in any possible negotiations.

The Egyptian official said efforts are centered on “trust-building” between the U.S. and Iran, with the aim of bringing about a pause in fighting. Israel is not involved.

The official, who is involved in the efforts, said the priority is to prevent attacks on both Iran’s and Gulf Arab countries’ energy infrastructure and that they were working on a “mechanism” for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Talk of negotiations briefly drove down oil prices and boosted stocks. But that respite was short-lived, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard, nudging back over $100 a barrel Tuesday, up nearly 40% since the war started.

Also Read

Trump, Munir Discuss Iran Crisis Over Phone: White House