Islamabad: Pakistan is expecting to host a second round of stalled peace talks between the US and Iran next week to end their war, two Pakistani government sources familiar with the mediation told Anadolu on Wednesday. The sources added that Islamabad expects the US and Iran to reach a "primary" agreement before Trump's China visit, which is scheduled for May 14-15.
According to Anadolu Agency, Pakistan is hopeful about the resumption of talks between the two sides next week to bring a negotiated settlement to the Middle East conflict. This optimism follows recent developments, including the pause on Washington's "Operation Freedom" and the release of a seized Iranian ship and its crew. Although significant progress has been made, with 80% to 85% of the issues resolved, the core nuclear issue remains a major bottleneck.
Earlier attempts saw the US rejecting Iran's proposal to delay talks on its nuclear program while including discussions on the Strait of Hormuz. Washington is firm on keeping the nuclear program in the discussions towards a permanent ceasefire. In its revised proposal, Iran suggested transforming the ceasefire into a permanent end to the war, deferring the nuclear issue to a later stage. Tehran is expected to respond to this US proposal by the end of the week.
On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei mentioned that Tehran is reviewing the US proposals. Meanwhile, Trump announced a temporary pause in "Project Freedom," aimed at restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, following requests from Pakistan and other countries.
Pakistan had previously hosted the first round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran on April 11-12, which did not yield an agreement. The talks were preceded by a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8, later extended by Trump. Pakistani sources express cautious optimism that the US and Iran may reach a "primary" agreement before Trump's China visit, noting that Trump would welcome an agreement before his trip.
The discussions have already included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the US blockade of Iranian naval ports, and releasing billions of dollars in Tehran's frozen assets. However, the nuclear issue remains a sticking point. Pakistan is intensifying efforts to bring the two sides to a compromise on this matter.
US outlet Axios reported that Washington is close to an agreement with Iran on a "one-page memorandum of understanding" to end the war and set a framework for detailed nuclear negotiations. Washington expects Iranian responses on several key points within the next 48 hours, marking the closest the parties have been to an agreement since the war began.