A Pakistani delegation led by influential army chief Asim Munir arrived in Iran on Wednesday to continue Islamabad’s mediation in negotiations between Tehran and Washington for an agreement to end the regional war.
According to Iranian state television, the delegation brings a new message from Washington to Tehran and will discuss the issue of future negotiations with Iranian officials, after the initial talks between the two enemy countries failed this past weekend in Islamabad.
Photos showing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcoming the Pakistani delegation were posted on his Telegram account, while the Pakistani army press office announced Asim Munir’s arrival in Tehran “as part of the ongoing mediation efforts.”
Iranian diplomacy had previously stated that exchanges with the United States were continuing through Pakistan. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, “Since Sunday, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, several messages have been exchanged via Pakistan.”
He had announced the likely arrival of a Pakistani delegation “to continue discussions in Islamabad,” but warned that Iran “will not enter into negotiations to only accept American conditions,” during a weekly press conference.
The first round of negotiations between the United States and Iran took place last weekend in Pakistan, after a two-week ceasefire became effective on April 8 in the war triggered by an Israeli-American attack on Iran on February 28.
The American delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance, and the Iranian side was represented by Parliament President Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Both parties blamed each other for the failure to reach an agreement.
President Donald Trump accused Iran of not reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Tehran since the beginning of the war, and of refusing to commit to not acquiring nuclear weapons, a goal denied by Tehran.
Information released later indicated that Washington was asking for a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment, while Iran proposed a five-year suspension in return, an offer rejected by American officials.
On Wednesday, Mr. Baghaei stated that some of the American demands during the negotiations were “unreasonable and unrealistic,” without providing further details. He emphasized Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, saying it cannot be “withdrawn under pressure or through war.”
He insisted that Iran “must be able to continue enrichment according to its needs,” but the enrichment level remains “negotiable.”
Mr. Baghaei also criticized the American naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports since Monday, stating that it “will not succeed.”
AFP
