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Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Thursday that indirect engagement between Washington and Tehran remains underway, even as reports indicate Iran has rejected a US-backed ceasefire framework and declined to meet American officials in Islamabad. Dar's comments, posted on X, come as rhetoric and military action on both sides continue to escalate.
"Backchannel communication between the United States and Iran is actively being conducted through messages relayed by Pakistan," Dar wrote, stating that the US has shared a 15-point framework which Iran is currently deliberating. He dismissed what he called "unnecessary speculation" in the media regarding the peace talks and reaffirmed that mediating countries, including Turkey and Egypt, are supporting the initiative.
Coverage Comparison
The conflicting signals — one of ongoing engagement, another of outright rejection — reflect a deeply fragmented negotiating environment. Reports from various outlets differ on what Iran wants and whether talks are still viable.
Dawn, Pakistan's most respected English-language daily, has framed Dar's statements around the impact of Israeli attacks on the peace process. In remarks to the Senate on Tuesday, Dar said Israel's attack on Iran's petrochemical infrastructure "severely damaged the peace process" at a time when Washington and Tehran were "close to sitting at the negotiating table." A separate Dawn report, citing a senior official familiar with the discussions, says a Pakistan-led initiative to facilitate US-Iran talks has been held up because Tehran has not yet formally responded to proposals for dialogue. The official noted that despite the willingness of both Pakistan and China to urge Iran to engage, "Tehran has so far not conveyed its readiness to take part in the dialogue."
Jerusalem Post, citing its own reporting and attributions, has highlighted Tehran's rejection of a US 15-point ceasefire proposal and its refusal to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days. One of its reports, citing mediators, says the current round of ceasefire efforts "has reached a dead end." The newspaper also quoted President Trump's social media claims that Iran had asked for a ceasefire — which Iran's senior officials denied.
The Hindu, reporting from India, also says Iran informed mediators that it refuses to meet US officials in Islamabad and considers Washington's wishes unacceptable, citing a Wall Street Journal report reproduced across several outlets.
TASS, the Russian state agency, framed the talks as having "reached a standstill" with Iran refusing to meet US officials in Islamabad and calling US demands unacceptable, with Turkey and Egypt considering new venues.
A key point of difference is the status of the talks. While Jerusalem Post and Hindu describe them as having struck a dead end, the TASS report says Turkey and Egypt are "continuing to seek a way out of the impasse" by considering alternative venues such as Doha or Istanbul. Dar himself insisted the backchannel remains active even after Iran's rejection of own 48-hour truce, saying talks remain firmly underway in a separate report.
Key Claims
- A US 15-point proposal: According to Jerusalem Post, Iran publicly rejected a US 15-point ceasefire proposal on Wednesday, hardening its stance and issuing a sweeping counteroffer.
- Iran's refusal to meet in Islamabad: Multiple outlets report that Iran has told mediators it is unwilling to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days, with the Wall StreetJournal describing the current mediation efforts by regional countries as having reached a dead end.
- Turkey and Egypt seeking alternative venues: According to Jerusalem Post and TASS, Turkey and Egypt, both come as regional mediators, are considering fresh proposals and alternative locations for talks, including Doha or Istanbul.
- Uranium enrichment: A senior US official said Iran has rejected demands to end uranium enrichment and dismantle major enrichment facilities, per Jerusalem Post.
- Funding of Iran-backed groups: The same US official said Iran has refused to end funding for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, whose designations as terrorist organizations are used by the United States.
- Iran's demands: An Iranian official said last week that Iran wants a permanent end to the war with guarantees of safety, rather than a mere ceasefire — citing The Hindu's report.