Pakistan is exploring a path towards a resumption of stalled US-Iran talks over ending their nearly five-month-old war, three Pakistani sources said, following a push initiated by China.
Exploratory discussions took place during a visit by Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad this week — his second within the last 10 days, the sources said.
Momeni, who is considered close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, met with Pakistani government leaders and army chief Asim Munir this week, according to Pakistani government statements.
All three sources cautioned that the obstacles to any talks with the U.S. remain high.
Pakistan has found itself in an increasingly complicated situation as a potential future mediator.
Earlier this week, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Islamabad that signed a mutual defence treaty with Pakistan last year.
Pakistan relies on Saudi financial support, and Islamabad has firmly condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Being seen as too receptive to Iranian arguments could risk frustrating Riyadh.
But Islamabad is similarly dependent on Beijing, which has also been a key financial backer of Islamabad, and which has economic interests in finding a diplomatic solution to reopening key Middle Eastern trade routes.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, also discussed the new Middle East effort with Chinese officials when he visited China last week, all three Pakistani sources said.
They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the issue publicly.
