Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said that Tehran has “never refused to go to Islamabad” for peace talks, but stressed that any negotiations must result in a “conclusive and lasting” end to what he described as an “illegal war.”
“Iran’s position is being misrepresented by US media. We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting end to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” he wrote on X.
Araghchi’s remarks come amid speculation of a deadlock in Pakistan-mediated talks between Iran and the US to broker a ceasefire to end the war, now into its sixth week. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Tehran had conveyed to mediators that it was unwilling to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days and found Washington’s demands “unacceptable.”
Efforts to broker a ceasefire have hit a dead end, with Iran refusing to engage in planned talks. “Current mediation efforts have reached a dead end,” the report said, pointing to a setback in diplomatic attempts.
Iran had earlier denied participating in any Pakistan-facilitated negotiations to end the conflict.
Meanwhile, Pakistan rejected claims that its peace initiative had stalled. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi termed such reports “baseless” and a “figment of imagination.”
“We categorically reject these false insinuations. Any attribution to official sources in this regard is incorrect,” Andrabi said, adding that a recent briefing by the Foreign Ministry had been “misrepresented” and urging the media to rely on official statements.
The Dawn newspaper, citing unnamed officials, suggested some progress had been made through back-channel exchanges between Washington and Tehran, but the absence of a clear response from Iran has slowed momentum. One official noted it was “surprising” that Iran had not responded positively to calls for talks despite suffering significant military and infrastructure losses.
The official added that Pakistani leaders remain in contact with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Araghchi.
The conflict began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. Iran’s retaliation widened the conflict across the Gulf region, disrupting energy supply chains, particularly shutting down the Strait of Hormuz.
(with inputs from PTI)
