US-Iran Peace Talks Set for Pakistan Next Week

(MENAFN) Pakistan is preparing to facilitate a fresh round of stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran as early as next week, according to two Pakistani government insiders with direct knowledge of the mediation effort, who spoke exclusively to Anadolu on Wednesday.

The sources revealed that Islamabad is pushing for a preliminary agreement to be reached between the two sides ahead of Trump's scheduled visit to China on May 14–15—a diplomatic window seen as critical to advancing the peace process.

"Considering the latest developments, Pakistan is hopeful about the resumption of talks between the two sides next week to bring a negotiated settlement to the Middle East conflict," one source said, citing the temporary suspension of Washington's so-called "Operation Freedom" and the release of a seized Iranian vessel and its crew earlier this week as encouraging signals.

Significant headway has already been made in bridging differences between the two nations, though a critical obstacle remains. "Almost 80% to 85% of the issues between the two sides have been already settled, however, the core nuclear issue still remains a major bottleneck," the source added.

Tensions over the negotiation agenda had previously threatened to derail the process altogether. Tehran had proposed separating nuclear discussions from talks concerning the Strait of Hormuz, a proposal Washington firmly rejected. The US has continued to insist that Iran's nuclear program remain a central pillar of any permanent ceasefire framework.

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