Sources told Al Jazeera that Pakistani mediators are hopeful of a breakthrough on Iran’s nuclear program.
A high-level Pakistani delegation has visited Iran for talks focused on arranging a new round of talks between Iran and the United States, a week before the end of their fragile ceasefire.
According to Iranian state media, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir is leading the delegation that arrived in Tehran on Wednesday evening. It said he brought a new message from the US and planned to coordinate a second round of US-Iran talks, after the initial round in Islamabad ended on Sunday without any agreement to end the war.
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Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is also joining mediation efforts in Tehran, while Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is in Saudi Arabia for the first stop of a four-day Gulf tour.
Pakistan’s diplomatic offensive comes at a time when competing US and Iranian maritime blockades are raising tensions – and the global economy – but there are signs of progress towards a deal to end the war, which has killed 3,000 people in Iran and spread across the Middle East.
“The urgency is due to the ceasefire set to expire on April 22, and Pakistani officials are hoping they can extend it,” said Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett from Islamabad. “Sharif will also try to persuade regional partners to use his influence to persuade the US to participate in new talks with Iran and ensure there is no diplomatic line-crossing.”
Washington ‘feels good’ about potential deal
The latest mediation was boosted by optimistic comments from US President Donald Trump, who said the world should prepare for an “amazing two days” as the war with Iran nears an end.
Trump also said that his negotiators were likely to return to Pakistan, which he largely attributed to the “great job” being done by Munir in controlling the talks.
White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt later reiterated that additional talks with Iran in Islamabad were likely to move forward. “We feel good about the prospects of the deal,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, the US military said its naval blockade of all Iranian ports is still in effect, with US forces “present, alert and ready to ensure compliance”.
The blockade, which Iran’s military said was a violation of the ceasefire, had driven back nine ships as of Wednesday, according to US Central Command.
Ali Abdullahi, commander of Iran’s Joint Military Command, threatened to halt trade in the region if the US did not lift its blockade. He also warned that Iran would retaliate by blocking trade through the Gulf and Sea of ​​Oman, as well as the Red Sea.
‘Critics everywhere’
Mediators in the conflict are pushing for an agreement on three main points – Iran’s nuclear programme, control over the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damage.
According to Iranian state media, Esmail Baghai, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign minister, has said that Iran is ready to discuss the type and level of its uranium enrichment, but that his country “should be able to continue enrichment, depending on its needs”.
Sources told Al Jazeera that Pakistani brokers are optimistic about a possible major breakthrough on the nuclear front, which is the reason for Munir’s rare diplomatic visit.
“It seems some consensus is being reached, but we have been warned by sources (close to the mediation effort) that there are opponents on all sides,” Al Jazeera’s Osama bin Javed said from Doha.
He said the opponents “include elements from Tehran, Washington, DC, and according to Pakistani sources, the biggest of them is Israel, which does not want a peace agreement and wants permanent war in the region”.
