Pakistan has proposed a new 60-day period to restart direct negotiations between the United States and Iran and reach an agreement that would end the months-long war. The proposal, put forward by sources in the Pakistani government, aims to resolve disputes between Washington and Tehran through diplomatic means.
Islamabad's plan calls for reviving talks under the Islamabad Memorandum, establishing a framework for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting sanctions imposed on Iran. Washington, Tehran and Islamabad have not officially confirmed the proposal.
Conditions between Washington and Tehran
Sources in the Pakistani government claimed that Marshal Asim Munir delivered a new proposal to the Iranian leadership during his latest visit to Tehran, involving the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington lifting a significant portion of its economic sanctions.
Washington wants the strait to reopen simultaneously with the resumption of direct talks. Iran, however, has made the end of Israeli ceasefire violations, particularly in southern Lebanon, a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's support for Hezbollah and the Houthis, security guarantees and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are also among the issues on which the parties have been unable to reach agreement. Iran is said to have responded positively to the new proposals, but certain conditions on key issues have not yet been settled.
Islamabad's new timetable
The new proposal emerged after the previous 60-day timetable set for the parties expired. That timetable began on June 17 and ended on August 16.
Sources in the Pakistani government claimed that, despite the deadline passing, the United States and Iran had reached an implicit understanding not to launch new conflicts. Messages concerning the new proposals were conveyed through Islamabad, and the parties were seeking agreement on a preliminary framework before direct negotiations.
The resumption of direct talks with the Iranian leadership and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz were discussed during Marshal Asim Munir's visit to Tehran. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who accompanied Munir on the visit, said significant progress had been made after the contacts.
Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabai, spokesperson for the Iranian president's office, also described the visit as highly productive and said that significant diplomatic gains had been achieved.
Pakistan invited Iranian negotiators to Islamabad to resume the talks. A meeting in Doha, the capital of Qatar, is also among the options.
Pakistan's mediation role
Pakistan hosted the highest-level direct talks between the United States and Iran since the two countries severed diplomatic relations in 1979. The talks held in Islamabad on April 11-12 ended without an agreement.
The United States and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum on June 17, launching negotiations toward a final agreement. The talks later stalled over disagreements concerning security guarantees and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which is of strategic importance to global energy supplies and trade.
Pakistan hosted talks between the two countries after a ceasefire was reached on April 8. The United States and Iran carried out reciprocal military attacks between July 8 and 24; while the United States struck targets inside Iran, Iran targeted US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, including Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
More than 3,500 civilians and soldiers have reportedly been killed in Iran since the conflict began on February 28. The Pentagon said that 18 of its personnel had died and 756 had been wounded during the war.
