Live updates: Follow the latest news on Iran war
Pakistan's army chief met Iran's parliament Speaker on Thursday, Iranian state television said, after Pakistani mediators travelled to Iran to press efforts to end the war with the US and Israel.
Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Wednesday to discuss messages exchanged between Iran and the US since Sunday. It comes after marathon talks held in Islamabad last weekend ended without a deal.
The US and Pakistan have been talking up the prospects for a deal in the more than six-week war, with US President Donald Trump saying the accord would open the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil and gas supply normally flows.
The closure of the strait has triggered the worst oil price shock in history and forced the International Monetary Fund to downgrade its outlook for the global economy, warning prolonged conflict could push the world to the brink of recession.
Reuters reported, quoting an unnamed senior Iranian official, that Iran and the US have made some progress as they push for an agreement, but that big splits remain on topics including Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
The official said Mr Munir's visit to Tehran had helped bring the sides closer, increasing hopes for an extended ceasefire and renewed talks between Iran and the US. The current two-week ceasefire is due to end next Wednesday.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that both sides are willing to resume talks, though no date had yet been set. This came after the White House expressed optimism that a deal could be reached, noting that any follow-up negotiations were expected to take place in Pakistan.
“We feel good about the prospects of a deal,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a news conference on Wednesday, calling conversations mediated by Pakistan “productive and ongoing”. She denied reports that the US had formally requested an extension of the two-week ceasefire agreed by the two sides on April 8.
Sources with first-hand knowledge of confidential deliberations told The National that what to do with 500kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium is high on the list of disagreements the mediators are trying to resolve, with storage outside Iran one of the proposals being discussed.
They said the issue of the Strait of Hormuz is another major point of contention, with the mediators seeking to formulate an international accord that governs maritime traffic through the strategically vital waterway.
“Allowing Iran to charge transit fees on vessels using Hormuz would be a violation of international laws and could encourage other parties overlooking sea passages to follow suit,” said one source. The source gave Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, who control the Asian side of the Bab El Mandeb at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, as an example.
The war broke out with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian attacks on Iran's Gulf neighbours as well as reigniting the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon. Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, while soaring energy costs have rattled investors and policymakers around the world.
Iran's nuclear ambitions were a central sticking point at last weekend's talks. The US proposed a 20-year suspension of all nuclear activity by Iran – an apparent concession from long-standing demands for a permanent ban – while Iran suggested a halt of three to five years, according to people familiar with the proposals.
Pakistan's PM tours Gulf
As part of Pakistan's diplomatic push, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim in Doha on Thursday. The premier's office said the two leaders discussed “the latest regional and international developments, particularly in the Middle East”.
Sheikh Tamim praised Pakistan's role and, according to the Pakistani statement, the pair also voiced support for “de-escalation efforts and enhancing international co-ordination to ensure the security and stability of the region, particularly ensuring the maintenance of smooth flow of energy supply chains”. Sheikh Tamim later travelled to Oman, Oman's News Agency reported.
Mr Sharif was due in Turkey later on Thursday for the last stop of a four-day tour. He visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The talks focused on regional diplomacy and efforts to advance negotiations between the US and Iran.
