Pakistan pushes US‑Iran peace talks

Pakistan stepped up its mediation effort on Friday, sending Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Tehran for another round of talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as Washington awaited an answer to its latest proposal. Iranian media reported the meeting, and Reuters said it came two days after Naqvi had already delivered a new U.S. message to Iranian officials. Tehran and Washington remain divided over Iran’s uranium stockpile and control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters. ### Why is Pakistan back in Tehran this week? Friday’s meeting was Naqvi’s second engagement in Tehran within days, according to Reuters and other reports that described Pakistan as carrying messages between Washington and Tehran. Reuters said Islamabad had intensified its outreach over the past week in an effort to secure what one source described as a “reasonable response” from Iranian leaders. (usnews.com) Pakistan’s role has widened beyond a single ministerial visit. Reports cited by Reuters said army chief Asim Munir was also involved in outreach to Iran, as Islamabad tried to keep ceasefire diplomacy from stalling. Indian and regional outlets separately reported contacts tied to Munir’s planned or recent engagement with Tehran, though the core fact confirmed across sources is that Pakistan has expanded the number of senior officials involved. (usnews.com) ### What is the United States waiting for from Iran? Critical Threats said on May 21 that Iran had not yet submitted a response to the latest U.S. proposal. The group said the main sticking points remained nuclear weapons issues and the Strait of Hormuz, with multiple mediators still trying to narrow the gaps. Reuters reported the same broad impasse on Friday, saying Tehran and Washington were still at odds over Iran’s uranium stockpile and controls on the waterway. (usnews.com) That leaves Pakistan’s shuttle diplomacy focused less on drafting a fresh framework than on moving an answer back from Tehran to Washington. ### Which Iranian officials are involved? (criticalthreats.org) Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s foreign minister, met Naqvi in Tehran on Friday, according to Iranian media reports carried by Reuters. Other reporting over the past week showed Pakistani officials also meeting senior Iranian figures, including parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Iranian officials have also signaled that the current exchanges are tied to an earlier Iranian framework. (usnews.com) CBS, citing Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, reported this week that the Pakistan-mediated contacts were based on Iran’s initial 14-point proposal calling for an end to the war and other steps. ### Is Pakistan the only mediator in these talks? (usnews.com) Critical Threats said Pakistan was one of several countries trying to bridge the remaining gaps, alongside Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt. That means Islamabad is operating in a crowded mediation channel rather than as the sole intermediary. Gulf News reported on Friday that senior Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash put the chances of a U.S.-Iran agreement on Hormuz at “50-50,” underscoring that Gulf actors are also publicly weighing the negotiations. (cbsnews.com) Reuters’ account similarly placed Pakistan’s effort inside a broader push by multiple intermediaries. ### What happens next if Tehran responds? (criticalthreats.org) The next concrete step is an Iranian reply to the latest U.S. proposal. Critical Threats said on May 21 that no response had yet been submitted, and Reuters reported on May 22 that Naqvi’s latest Tehran meeting came after he delivered Washington’s message two days earlier. Any formal answer would likely move back through the same mediation channels now involving Pakistan and other regional states. (criticalthreats.org) (gulfnews.com)