Islamabad, Pakistan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi laid out Iran’s demands and reservations about U.S. positions on Saturday as Pakistan hosted a new push to end a war that has killed thousands and unsettled global markets. Iran has ruled out a new round of direct talks with Washington.
Meetings in Islamabad and mediation role
Araqchi met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other high-ranking officials, though details of the discussions were not disclosed. The White House had said President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner would travel to Islamabad on Saturday.
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on X that Iranian officials did not plan to meet U.S. representatives and that Tehran’s concerns would be conveyed to mediator Pakistan.
Strait of Hormuz and oil export standoff
Washington and Tehran remain at an impasse as Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil shipments, while the United States blocks Iran’s oil exports.
Ceasefire extension and economic impact
The conflict is entering its ninth week, with a ceasefire that began on June 24 extended by Trump this week. The war has pushed energy prices to multi-year highs, stoking inflation and weighing on global growth prospects.
Iran’s stated positions and objections
Araqchi explained Iran’s “principled positions regarding the latest developments related to the ceasefire and the complete end of the imposed war against Iran,” according to a statement on his official Telegram account.
Asked about Tehran’s reservations about U.S. positions, an Iranian diplomatic source in Islamabad said: “Principally, the Iranian side will not accept maximalist demands.”
US stance and Trump remarks
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran had a chance to make a “good deal,” adding that Iran had an “open window to choose wisely” and that it should abandon a nuclear weapon in “meaningful and verifiable ways.”
Trump told Reuters on Friday that Iran planned to make an offer aimed at satisfying U.S. demands, but said he did not know what the offer entailed. He declined to say who Washington was negotiating with, saying, “but we’re dealing with the people that are in charge now”.
What do you think Pakistan’s role as mediator could mean for the prospects of ending the conflict?