Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Aragchi. Photo: Thomas
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to head to Pakistan on Friday night to discuss the next steps in stalled peace negotiations with the U.S., MS NOW reported.
- An initial round of peace talks, held in Islamabad and led on the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance, ended with no deal.
- Since passing its four-to-six-week war prediction, the Trump administration has extended its timeline.
Beirut- Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to head to Islamabad on Friday night to discuss the next steps in stalled peace negotiations with the U.S., a Pakistani official involved in the matter told MS NOW.
Araghchi and a small team are expected to talk with Pakistani mediators about a potential second round of negotiations with the U.S., said the official, who spoke anonymously due to sensitivities around the topic, according to MS NOW.
The first round of peace talks, held nearly two weeks ago in Islamabad and led on the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance, ended with no deal.
A U.S. delegation including Vance was expected to head back to Pakistan earlier this week for further negotiations, but the trip was delayed as Iranian officials reportedly said they would not show up.
Much of the mutual prickliness has centered on the Strait of Hormuz, the major oil-shipping route that has seen traffic slow to a trickle amid Iranian threats and, as of last week, a retaliatory U.S. naval blockade.
The tensions have further strained an already-fragile ceasefire, which was announced April 7 amid threats by President Donald Trump that Iran’s “whole civilization will die” unless a deal is struck.
Despite the continued stress in the strait, Trump on Tuesday unilaterally extended the ceasefire shortly before it was set to expire.
After the war started on Feb. 28, the Trump administration repeatedly said that it expected operations to be brief and to conclude within four to six weeks.
Since passing that deadline, the administration has reframed its timeline, while stressing that prior U.S. conflicts have lasted far longer.
US makes a move too
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff (R) and son-in-law Jared Kushner (L) will travel to Pakistan soon for talks with Iran’s foreign minister, a US official told Reuters on Friday.
Vice President JD Vance is not currently planning to attend but he will be on standby to travel to Islamabad if negotiations progress, according to CNN, which first recorded the travel plans.
Islamabad was the venue for talks between the US and Iran on ending their war that collapsed earlier this week.
Araqchi said in a statement on X he was embarking on visits to Pakistan, Oman and Russia to coordinate with partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments, adding that Iran’s neighbours remained Tehran’s priority
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