Islamabad, Pakistan – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has discussed with regional negotiators a proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but has postponed talks with the US over Tehran’s nuclear program for later, appearing to aim to gain broad buy-in for the plan during a 72-hour diplomatic sprint across the three countries.
After visiting Islamabad twice in two days, Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Monday — both visits coincided with a meeting in Muscat, Oman. Sources close to these diplomatic efforts told Al Jazeera that senior intelligence officials from several countries were present at the Muscat talks.
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Discussions in Muscat focused on the Strait of Hormuz, regional security guarantees and the outline of a possible solution, with nuclear-related issues set aside for a later stage.
Iran has handed Pakistan its latest proposal to end war with the US, sending messages between Tehran and Washington after direct talks failed in Islamabad on April 11.
The White House has not confirmed the contents of the Iranian proposal, as also reported by the Associated Press. Spokeswoman Olivia Wells said the US would “not negotiate through the press” and would “only make a deal that puts the American people first, never allowing Iran to have nuclear weapons”.
But it is not clear whether US President Donald Trump will accept Iran’s proposal to pursue nuclear talks. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Trump said Iran already knew what was necessary.
“They cannot have nuclear weapons. Otherwise, there is no reason to meet,” he said. He said Tehran was welcome to reach out. “You know there’s a telephone. We have good, secure lines.”
The latest diplomatic efforts are unfolding against a ticking clock.
Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, Trump faces a May 1 deadline to get congressional approval to continue military operations against Iran, now in their ninth week. A fourth bipartisan Senate bid to enact the proposal was defeated 52–47 on April 15. Republican lawmakers have largely supported Trump so far, but many have said support will not be extended beyond the 60-day period without formal congressional approval.
Pakistan in the center
During his first of two visits to Islamabad, Araghchi on Monday met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
He then traveled to Muscat and returned to Pakistan on Sunday and met Munir again before departing for Moscow.
Araghchi, in a message on social media after his departure, said that Pakistan had “played an important role in the recent mediation talks between Iran and the United States”, adding that the “wrong approach and excessive demands of the United States” had prevented the previous round of talks from achieving their objectives despite “some progress”.
Senior Pakistani officials familiar with the discussions said Islamabad would continue its efforts as an honest facilitator.
However, Iranian state media took a stronger stance.
Fars news agency, which is close to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Araghchi had transmitted messages through Pakistan outlining Tehran’s red lines on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz. It was “an initiative by Iran to clarify the regional situation,” it said.
Former Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhary said that the conduct of the talks was remarkable in itself.
“I have witnessed a commendable display of confidentiality. This is a disciplined and professional way of conducting negotiations,” he told Al Jazeera.
a widening circle
Apart from visits to Pakistan, Oman and Russia, Araghchi held telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France in the last three days.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani spoke directly to Araghchi, warning that sea routes should not become “a bargaining chip or a pressure tactic.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was briefed on “developments related to the ceasefire”. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdellatty spoke to both his Qatari and Iranian counterparts. France’s Jean-Noel Barrot stressed that Europe has played a “constructive role” in the crisis.
After the meeting in Muscat, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi called for “practical solutions to ensure permanent freedom of navigation”.
Dania Thafar, executive director of the Gulf International Forum, said the flurry of calls points to cautious engagement rather than a strategic realignment.
“Although the Iranian leadership did not directly visit Qatar or Saudi Arabia, there were phone calls, and this indicates a desire to maintain contacts without a full diplomatic embrace,” he told Al Jazeera.
Before the fragile ceasefire currently in place, Iran had daily bombarded Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states with missiles and drones, angering them. Nevertheless, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia have signaled a willingness to pursue diplomacy rather than retaliation – if Iran commits not to attack them again.
Additionally, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocks a large portion of their energy exports.
“Among regional players, by far the most stressed topic is the Strait of Hormuz and maritime security,” Thafar said.
Iranian journalist and political analyst Reza Afzal said that the currency of the Gulf countries has changed since 2015.
“Countries that opposed the nuclear deal (JCPOA) at the time now understand that a guaranteed deal with Iran serves their interests, especially as Iranian military actions during the war have highlighted the costs of continued hostilities,” he told Al Jazeera.
Former Pakistani diplomat Chaudhary said that the current talks extend beyond any one issue.
“It’s not just about nuclear issues, but mainly about how this war will end and what happens after that, what security architecture we can expect. These are the conversations everyone is having,” he told Al Jazeera.
Russia’s quiet presence
Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali confirmed that Araghchi’s visit to Moscow would cover “the latest status of negotiations, the ceasefire and surrounding developments”.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has spoken to Putin three times since the war began. Jalali described the visit in ideological terms, describing Iran and Russia as standing in a “united front” against “the world’s totalitarian forces”.
Taimur Khan, a research fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, said Russia brought three key assets from Iran’s perspective: long-term strategic ties with Tehran, a veto on the UN Security Council and a technical role in the original nuclear deal.
“Moscow cannot guarantee relief from US sanctions, nor can it directly substitute for a US-Iran understanding. Its importance is more as a diplomatic stabilizer, technical convenience and geopolitical counterweight,” Khan told Al Jazeera.
Tehran-based analyst Javad Heran-Nia said the Moscow visit appeared to address broader diplomacy as well as more specific concerns.
“The visit was likely linked to questions over Iran’s rich uranium reserves and military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow,” the analyst said. Russia has offered to take possession of Iran’s enriched uranium.
JCPOA text
Underlying Araghchi’s reach is a structural lesson that analysts say Tehran has learned from the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal.
When Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 during his first term, Iran was left without regional support and without a guarantor capable of holding Washington to its commitments.
Khan said Tehran had learned lessons from that experience.
“European states, which were part of the JCPOA negotiations, also cannot be reliably relied upon in times of crisis,” he said. “FM Araghchi’s outreach appears to be part of a hedging strategy to create diplomatic insulation, reassure neighbors and build a broader constituency against tensions.”
Johar Salim, a former ambassador and chairman of the Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad, said Iran’s calculations were also strategic.
“Ideally, Iran would not want an unsafe deal for the US election cycle,” he told Al Jazeera.
“It appears that Tehran is playing the long game,” he said. “This strategy also fits well with Iran’s waiting game strategy, given what they see as American desperation to seek an early exit.”
Hiran-Niya presented a contrasting historical perspective. Contrary to the original talks, Gulf Arab countries had supported diplomacy even before the 12-day war in 2025, he said.
“Even at the time of the JCPOA’s conclusion, the Gulf Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia, showed serious opposition,” he told Al Jazeera.
Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, said the current outreach should be seen as part of a longer trajectory of Iranian relationship-building with Gulf countries in recent years.
interval
Of course, Iran’s access only makes sense if the US agrees to a deal, analysts say.
Trump on Saturday canceled a planned visit to Islamabad by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, saying Iran had “offered a lot, but not enough”.
He also said that China could use “a lot of help” on Iran. Trump is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14-15.
Thafer said comprehensive housing is still a ways off.
“What Iran is demanding goes far beyond an agreement on the strait. It is demanding complete regional realignment, and that is something the Gulf countries are not prepared to offer, especially after these attacks,” he told Al Jazeera.
Journalist Afzal said that the domestic Iranian dimension on Hormuz is often underestimated. Public opinion inside Iran, he said, opposes reopening the strait without concrete concessions. “Until Washington agrees to compromise, Tehran will continue to use the strait as leverage,” he told Al Jazeera.
Several deadlines are now converging: the May 1 war powers limit, Trump’s visit to China, and the Hajj season.
With millions of pilgrims expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia in late May, Riyadh’s diplomatic and logistics bandwidth will be constrained, making any escalation during that period particularly costly for a Gulf state that is both a key negotiator and custodian of Islam’s holiest sites.
Senior Pakistani officials said Islamabad is ready to host another round of formal talks, but actual talks are likely to continue out of public view until an agreement appears within reach.
“They (Gulf countries) are in a difficult situation and may have to walk a difficult path strategically and diplomatically,” Salim told Al Jazeera.
