Pakistan Tries to Restart US-Iran Negotiations

Pakistan's leaders sought Sunday to revive peace talks between the US and Iran after President Trump canceled plans for his top envoys to travel to Islamabad this weekend for negotiations. Pakistan-led mediators are working to bridge significant gaps between the US and Iran, according to a regional official involved in the mediation effort, the AP reports. Iran still insists on ending the US blockade on its ports before launching a new round of talks with the Trump administration, the official said.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a phone call Saturday night that the U.S. "should first remove operational obstacles, including the blockade," to allow a new round of negotiations, according to the ISNA and Tasnim news agencies in Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister made a brief visit to Islamabad a day after leaving the city and throwing the prospect of a second round of talks with the US into question. He had gone to Oman, located on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, before his latest three-hour visit to Islamabad. He then left for Russia late Sunday. The US didn't send envoys to Pakistan for a second round of talks, but Pakistan continues to mediate, and two officials there said indirect talks are still ongoing.