Pakistan invited to participate in Iran-US talks: FO

Pakistan has been invited to take part in Iran-US talks aimed at easing tensions between Tehran and Washington, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andarabi, spoke to a private news channel, confirmed Pakistan’s invitation to the negotiations, which are scheduled to be held in Istanbul later this week.

According to diplomatic sources, these talks are part of backchannel diplomatic efforts involving several regional countries. Pakistan and Turkiye are said to have helped facilitate these behind-the-scenes contacts that paved the way for dialogue.

Sources added that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is likely to represent Pakistan at the talks. A Reuters report said other countries invited at the foreign ministers’ level include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

A person familiar with the matter said the meeting format is still unclear, but the “main meeting” will take place on Friday, stressing the importance of dialogue to prevent further escalation.

On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed he had ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States after President Donald Trump warned of “bad things” if no deal was reached.

“In light of requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the proposal by the President of the United States for negotiations….. I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X.

The talks will be held “within the framework of our national interests”, he added.

Meanwhile, the United States has sent an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East following recent unrest in Iran. President Trump said he remains hopeful the two sides will “work something out”, but warned again that “bad things would happen” if talks fail.

Iran has said it prefers diplomacy, while warning of a strong response to any aggression. Tehran has repeatedly said talks should focus only on the nuclear issue, rejecting discussions on missiles or defence matters.

In an interview with CNN, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a nuclear deal is possible.

“So I see the possibility of another talk if the US negotiation team follows what President Trump said: to come to a fair and equitable deal to ensure that there is no nuclear weapon,” he said.

“So if that is the case, I am confident that we can achieve a deal,” he added.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of a “regional war” if the US attacks Iran. According to a regional official quoted by Reuters, the main goal of the Istanbul talks is to avoid conflict and reduce tensions between the two sides.