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Iran's Foreign Minister Returns to Pakistan
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned to Islamabad on Sunday after a brief departure, as Pakistani officials work to salvage ceasefire negotiations with the United States. President Trump canceled a planned U.S. delegation trip, citing lack of progress, while the fragile ceasefire in the ongoing conflict holds.
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived back in Islamabad on Sunday, according to Iranian state media and multiple reports. This followed his departure from Pakistan's capital late Saturday, which had raised questions about the continuation of ceasefire talks between Iran and the United States.
Pakistani officials are actively trying to reignite the negotiations, with Araghchi expected to hold further consultations before proceeding to Moscow. The White House had announced on Friday that it would send envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad.
However, President Trump stated on Sunday that he had called off the mission due to insufficient progress. and Iran, agreed upon on April 7, has been indefinitely extended by Trump. It largely halted fighting that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28.
The war has resulted in thousands of deaths and significant global economic disruptions, particularly due to restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. A standoff persists at the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil flows in peacetime.
Iran has restricted movement there, while the U.S. enforces a blockade of Iranian ports. Iranian officials seek to end the U.S. blockade before new talks, and mediators are working to bridge gaps between the two sides. >"If the U.S. A regional official involved in mediation efforts stated that Iran's response from Oman was not immediately clear.
Araghchi also spoke by phone with counterparts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Talks are expected to be indirect, with Pakistani officials acting as go-betweens, reflecting Iran's caution after previous indirect negotiations ended in attacks. Two Pakistani officials, speaking anonymously, did not specify when U.S. representatives might return to the region.
President Trump mentioned on Saturday that Iran had sent a "much better" proposal shortly after he canceled the U.S. envoys' trip. " The U.N. nuclear watchdog reports that Iran has 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity, close to weapons-grade levels.
