Iranian delegation led by Abbas Araghchi heads to Pakistan for US-Iran ceasefire talks
A senior official of the Shehbaz Sharif government said that Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad with a small delegation.
An Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will reach Pakistan on Friday night to hold bilateral consultations, discuss the US-Iran ceasefire and the current developments in the region, officials and media reports said. Araghchi will lead a small delegation to Pakistan, Oman, and Russia on Friday to "hold bilateral consultations and discuss current developments in the region, as well as the latest situation" in the US-Iran war, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported.
However, there was no clarity on whether Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Parliament Speaker who led the Iranian delegation in the first round of peace talks with the US in Pakistan early this month, would be part of the delegation or not.
Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad with a small delegation
A senior official of the Shehbaz Sharif government said that Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad with a small delegation. "Following key discussions with the Pakistani mediation team, a second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran is expected to be held in Islamabad," the official told PTI.
He said that a US logistics and security team is already present in Islamabad to facilitate the negotiation process. The official said that once the Iranian delegation arrives here and works out the framework of talks with the US technical team, then the high-powered US delegation would likely arrive here on Saturday night.
Ishaq Dar and Araghchi spoke over phone on US-Iran ceasefire
"But this is subject to some kind of understanding reaching with Iran," he said. The development comes hours after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Araghchi spoke over the phone and exchanged views on the US-Iran ceasefire and Pakistan's ongoing diplomatic efforts.
During the call, both sides "exchanged views on regional developments, the ceasefire, and ongoing diplomatic efforts being pursued by Islamabad in the context of US-Iran engagement," the Foreign Office said in a statement, without elaborating.
Ishaq Dar underscores importance of sustained dialogue
Dar underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and engagement to address outstanding issues to advance regional peace and stability at the earliest, it said. Araghchi appreciated Pakistan's consistent and constructive facilitation role in this regard, and both leaders agreed to remain in close contact, it added.
Iranian media reported that Araghchi also spoke with Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday. However, there was no confirmation from the Pakistani side. The first round of US-Iran talks held on April 11 and 12 failed to produce a breakthrough, prompting a flurry of diplomatic efforts by host Pakistan to cool tensions and revive hopes for another round of dialogue.
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