Live updates: US envoys will head to Pakistan on Saturday for fresh Iran talks

**US Pakistan Iran talks: Envoys fly to Islamabad amid nuclear tensions**

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

Two senior US diplomats depart for Islamabad on Saturday to restart stalled negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, according to State Department officials.

The delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and acting Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus will hold preliminary discussions with Pakistani officials before proposing direct talks with Iranian counterparts.

The mission marks Washington’s first serious diplomatic overture to Tehran since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, amid rising concerns over Iran’s expanding uranium enrichment capabilities. Iranian officials have publicly rejected direct negotiations but left the door open for indirect talks through intermediaries.

Islamabad agreed to host the meeting after weeks of backchannel discussions, Pakistani Foreign Ministry sources told GlobalBeat. The choice of venue reflects Pakistan’s unique position as one of few nations maintaining working relationships with both Washington and Tehran, despite US sanctions on Iran.

“Pakistan has offered its good offices to facilitate dialogue,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arifa Khan said Friday. “We believe diplomatic engagement remains the only viable path forward.”

The US team carries specific proposals for limiting Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for partial sanctions relief, according to officials familiar with the planning. The offer reportedly requires Tehran to halt uranium enrichment above 60 percent and allow renewed international inspections at previously monitored facilities.

Iran currently enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels, according to International Atomic Energy Agency reports. The country has accumulated enough fissile material for several nuclear weapons, though US intelligence agencies assess Tehran has not resumed its formal weapons program.

Trump has repeatedly warned Iran against obtaining nuclear weapons, saying in March that military options remain “very much on the table.” The president simultaneously authorized the diplomatic outreach, believing economic pressure coupled with negotiation might yield better results than his predecessor’s approach.

The previous administration under Joe Biden pursued indirect talks through European intermediaries without achieving a breakthrough. Those negotiations collapsed last year after Iran demanded sweeping sanctions removal the US deemed unrealistic.

US Iran envoy Witkoff brings unique credentials to the mission, having negotiated the Abraham Accords expansion during Trump’s first term. He maintains contacts across the Middle East including informal channels to Iranian officials, according to regional diplomats.

“This isn’t about grand bargains,” a senior State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’re looking for concrete steps Iran can take to reduce nuclear risks, matched with concrete economic benefits.”

The US delegation plans a three-day visit beginning Saturday, with meetings scheduled at Pakistan’s Foreign Office in Islamabad. No direct US-Iran encounter has been confirmed, though officials expect Iranian representatives to participate through Pakistani mediation.

Regional powers have pressed both sides to resume dialogue, fearing nuclear proliferation could trigger a Middle East arms race. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Jordan have all expressed support for diplomatic solutions while quietly expanding their own civilian nuclear programs.

China and Russia maintain closer ties with Tehran but have encouraged restraint, particularly as Israel considers potential military action against Iranian facilities. Israeli officials privately welcome US diplomatic efforts while publicly maintaining all options remain available.

The economic dimensions prove equally complex. US sanctions have crippled Iran’s oil exports, cutting them roughly 80 percent since 2018. Iran holds some $7 billion in frozen assets abroad that Washington could release as negotiation incentives, according to Treasury Department estimates.

Iran’s economy shrank again last year, with inflation exceeding 40 percent and its currency hitting record lows. Ordinary Iranians struggle with food and medicine shortages many blame on sanctions, creating domestic pressure for relief.

But Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly rejected direct talks with Washington, describing negotiations under pressure as “humiliating.” Iranian officials instead propose talks through Oman, Qatar or European intermediaries.

“Islamic Republic’s policy remains unchanged,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said Tuesday. “If America shows serious intention through practical steps, not mere words, we will review our approach.”

The Pakistani government faces its own complications hosting nuclear negotiations. Islamabad depends on US military aid and International Monetary Fund support while importing discounted Iranian oil despite sanctions. This delicate balance requires careful choreography of any mediation role.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed neutrality, telling parliament Thursday that “Pakistan seeks peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.” The country previously mediated US-Taliban negotiations leading to the 2020 withdrawal agreement in Afghanistan.

Background

US-Iran nuclear diplomacy stretches back two decades through multiple failed agreements and broken promises. President George W. Bush first labeled Iran part of an “axis of evil” in 2002, setting the stage for decades of confrontation over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, brokered by President Barack Obama, offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for strict nuclear limits. Trump withdrew from that deal in 2018, reimposing sanctions and triggering Iran’s gradual abandonment of the agreement’s restrictions.

Iran’s nuclear program has accelerated dramatically since then, with enrichment levels rising from 3.67 percent permitted under the deal to current levels approaching 90 percent weapons grade. The country has also begun operating advanced centrifuges and reducing cooperation with international inspectors.

What’s Next

The Islamabad talks represent merely an opening gambit in what officials predict will be lengthy negotiations. Success could lead to indirect technical discussions through European intermediaries, potentially culminating in a new agreement limiting Iranian nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief. Failure risks leaving military options as the primary alternative for preventing Iranian nuclear weapons.