US and Iranian delegations are expected to arrive in Pakistan this weekend and hold negotiations Monday (April 20), Iranian sources told CNN. The US hasn’t confirmed talks are scheduled. Negotiators are likely to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday, they said.
The developments come as fresh diplomatic efforts are under way to reduce tensions in West Asia.
On the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, key regional leaders held talks focused on de-escalation. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss “international efforts aimed at de-escalation and advancing diplomatic solutions”, according to Al Jazeera.
“The Emir and the Turkish President commended the efforts undertaken by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in this regard, and expressed their support for the efforts of the prime minister,” Qatar’s Amiri Diwan said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
In a separate development, Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir met Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran on Thursday, as diplomatic engagement intensified around reviving stalled US-Iran talks.
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Munir, who arrived in Tehran a day earlier, was received by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The visit is seen as an effort to prepare the ground for a possible second round of negotiations after earlier discussions failed to yield progress.
The outreach comes amid increased back-channel engagement between Washington and Tehran, with Pakistani officials expressing hope for a breakthrough, particularly on Iran’s nuclear programme, according to Al Jazeera.
Earlier, the Islamabad Peace Talks, held on April 11–12, marked a rare but inconclusive diplomatic attempt to end the 39-day Gulf conflict between the US and Iran. Mediated by Pakistan, the talks were the first high-level, face-to-face negotiations between the two sides since the Iranian Revolution.
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The next round of negotiations between the United States and Iran is expected to be closely watched, as regional and global powers continue to push for a diplomatic breakthrough.
