No dates set for second round of Iran-US talks: Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said that no dates have been decided for the second round of talks between the United States and Iran.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi's statement comes amidst reports that another round of talks is possible after the latest contacts made by the Pakistani side with regional leaders, including the Iranian leadership.

Andrabi said in response to a query that “no dates have been set as yet”, as he avoided rejecting the possibility of the second round of talks.

When asked about the arrival and composition of the delegations for a second round of dialogue, he said, "Who will come, how large the delegation will be, who will stay, and who will leave — this is for the parties to decide.”

“The details and information of the negotiations that we had were entrusted to us by the negotiating parties,” he added.

He also said that the nuclear issue is among the subjects being discussed by the countries.

“We will not comment on the positions of Tehran and the parties involved in the negotiations. This is part of the parties’ trust in us,” Andrabi said, as he asked the media to refrain from speculations.

The spokesperson further noted that the talks were ongoing with a high level of trust and “secrecy”.

“It is essential for us to keep the negotiations confidential,” he added.

He also said that peace in Lebanon is essential for the peace talks.

His statement comes as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a four-day tour to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye, while Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir led a delegation to Iran.

Referring to PM Shehbaz’s three-nation trip and the army chief's Iran visit, Andrabi said the “initiatives reflect Pakistan’s longstanding position that sustainable peace is best advanced through dialogue and cooperation”.

He also said that PM Shehbaz’s phone calls with his counterparts across the globe were part of “intense diplomatic exchanges” on the West Asia situation.

He added that the Islamabad Talks actually went on for 21 hours while the overall process continued for about 30 hours “if we count movement of delegations and momentary breaks for meals and coffee”.

“As such, the entire negotiation process was intensive and extensive, both in terms of scope and timelines,” he said.

Field Marshal Munir, who is heading a high-level political-security delegation to Iran, met Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran on Thursday morning, state-run IRNA news agency reported, without providing any details.

In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday said he was delighted to welcome Field Marshal Munir to Iran.

"Expressed gratitude for Pakistan's gracious hosting of dialogue, emphasising that it reflects our deep and great bilateral relationship. Our commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region remains strong — and shared," said Araghchi.

Iran's state-run Press TV on Wednesday said the purpose of the visit is to deliver a US message to the Iranian leadership and to plan the next round of negotiations.

Earlier, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that the exchange of messages continued with the US through Pakistan after Islamabad talks over the weekend ended without a breakthrough. 

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that a second round of talks with Iran could be held in Islamabad "over the next two days".

The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan over the weekend aimed at ending their conflict, but the talks ended early Sunday without any agreement.

US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, said the talks failed to reach a deal, citing Tehran not forgoing its nuclear programme as one of the key sticking points.

Iran, however, said that the Islamabad talks failed due to "excessive demands" made by the American side.  

Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation in marathon peace talks, said that his team raised "forward-looking initiatives, but the opposite side ultimately failed to win the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations.”

The conflict began after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, paralysing global energy markets and disrupting trade.

A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on April 22, and efforts are being made to extend it while arranging direct talks for securing a peace deal.