Washington: The foreign ministers of Trkiye, Egypt, and Pakistan are actively engaged in efforts to initiate dialogue between Iran and the United States. However, their attempts have yet to yield tangible results, as reported by several American media outlets on Sunday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the foreign ministers of the three countries conducted separate phone calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend. Despite these diplomatic maneuvers, no breakthrough has been achieved, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and Axios.
Axios highlighted accounts from two sources involved in the negotiations, revealing that the talks are being facilitated not only through Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators but also via text messages exchanged between Trump's advisers and Araghchi. Araghchi has previously emphasized that contacts with the US are not negotiations but rather limited to the exchange of messages, either directly or through regional intermediaries.
Iranian officials have remained firm in their demands, rejecting a proposal that involved reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a temporary ceasefire, as per the Journal. The Iranian foreign minister stated that Iran seeks not a ceasefire but a complete end to the war across the region.
The mediators are working on devising a package of confidence-building measures, which could potentially extend Trump's ultimatum and bring the parties closer to a direct meeting. President Trump has set a deadline of Tuesday evening US time, cautioning that Iran would suffer severe consequences if the strait remained closed.
The conflict has already resulted in significant casualties, with the US and Israel striking Iran since February 28, leading to the death of over 1,340 people, including the then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran has conducted retaliatory strikes across the region and restricted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, affecting roughly 20 million barrels of daily oil traffic and causing disruptions in global markets.