US-Iran Talks Continue, Pakistan Active as Mediator
First Round Ends Without Agreement, Preparations for Second Round Underway
By Mian Iftikhar Ahmad
The first round of US-Iran talks held in Islamabad ended without a formal agreement, but the negotiation process has not concluded. US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that Iran did not accept American conditions regarding nuclear weapons, but he also noted that good progress was made by both sides. The ball is now in Iran’s court, and preparations for a second round of talks have begun.
Pakistan has proposed starting the second round of US-Iran talks before April 22 and has offered to host it again. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif have indicated positive progress. The second round could potentially take place around April 16, with Pakistan playing an active role in the arrangements.
No new visit of the Pakistani Prime Minister to Turkey and Saudi Arabia is currently taking place. Instead, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held telephone contacts with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey on April 12 and 13. These contacts focused on the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and continuing the negotiation process.
Last month, in March, Pakistan invited Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt to join the US-Iran talks, and their foreign ministers had visited Islamabad for high-level consultations. During the recent telephone contacts, cooperation was again sought from these countries. Pakistan is making efforts to ensure the second round of talks is completed before April 22.
