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Pakistan Mediates US-Iran Talks
Pakistani officials arrived in Tehran this week to discuss proposals between the United States and Iran. Negotiations continue over uranium enrichment, shipping routes, and regional security issues.
May 21, 11:10 AM·1m read1 source
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The visit marks the second trip by a Pakistani official to Iran in less than a week. The United States and Iran have exchanged proposals for a peace agreement since a temporary ceasefire was reached last month. Both sides remain apart on several key issues, including Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran is reviewing the latest US proposal delivered through Pakistan. Iran submitted a revised 14-point peace plan earlier this week, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. On Wednesday, officials stated that negotiations are at a critical stage.
"If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go," a US official told reporters.
A central disagreement concerns Iran's enriched uranium. The United States has urged Iran to transfer its stockpile to a third party, while Iran has resisted handing material directly to Washington. The Strait of Hormuz remains another point of contention.
Iran has restricted shipping through the waterway since early March, allowing passage only after vessels coordinate with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The United States announced a naval blockade on Iranian ports in April. Iranian officials reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps coordinated transit for 26 vessels through the strait in the past 24 hours.
