Kamal Ghorui
Iran said foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had left Islamabad and arrived in Muscat on Saturday for meetings with Omani officials. He is also expected to travel on to Russia to discuss efforts to end the war, which the United States and Israel began against Iran on Feb 28. Araghchi described his Pakistan trip as “very fruitful” in a post on X, adding he had shared Iran’s position on a “workable framework to permanently end the war”. “Have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy,” he posted. Even before Trump’s announcement, the prospect of new talks had been uncertain, with Iranian state television saying Araghchi had no plans to meet with the Americans, and that Islamabad would serve as a bridge to “convey” Iranian proposals. Araghchi, before leaving for Islamabad, on Friday said that he was embarking on a timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow, and the purpose of his visits is to “closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments”. “Our neighbours are our priority,” he said. Pakistan foreign minister Dar said his country is facilitating the Iran-US talks and it will continue with efforts to achieve peace in the region and beyond. Dar, who held a meeting at the ministry of foreign affairs to review the latest developments, said Pakistan’s official policy statements on the Iran-US facilitation process are only those issued by official sources. “Unnamed Pakistani officials or sources, whether quoted in print or social media, do not reflect Pakistan’s official position,” he added.
