Iranian foreign minister arrives in Islamabad, US says envoys to travel for talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived on Friday evening in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, where talks to end the conflict in West Asia are expected to take place, Al Jazeera reported.

However, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, said that no direct meeting would take place with officials from the United States. Instead, Tehran’s official position and “observations” will be conveyed to Pakistan, which will communicate them to the United States, he was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

Earlier, Araghchi said in a social media post that he was embarking on a tour of Islamabad, Oman’s capital Muscat, and Russian capital Moscow. “Purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments,” he said. “Our neighbors are our priority.”

The White House also said on Friday that the United States was sending Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Special Envoy for Peace Jared Kushner to Pakistan to take part in talks, AP reported.

“We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward to a deal,” she said in an interview with Fox News.

Araghchi had held indirect talks with the two US envoys in Geneva on February 27 about Iran’s nuclear programme, but the discussions did not result in a deal. On the next day, the United States and Israel launched the attack on Iran.

On April 8, Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire to allow further negotiations to end the conflict. An initial round of peace talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad collapsed on April 12.

However, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was extending the ceasefire with Tehran until the country comes up with a proposal to permanently end the war in West Asia.

The war

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran’s action posed an existential threat to Israel. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region and targeting major cities in Gulf countries.

Tehran also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis. About 20% of global petroleum supply passes through the maritime chokepoint.

Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.