Islamabad/Washington: A recent report by The Washington Post claims that the latest round of Pakistan-led regional efforts to broker a ceasefire between Iran and the United States has come to a halt.
According to the report, Iran is unwilling to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days, formally stating that America’s demands are unacceptable.
Despite the setback, diplomatic sources indicate that Turkey and Egypt are still attempting to make progress. Alternative venues for negotiations, including Doha, Qatar, and Istanbul, Turkey, are under consideration, along with new proposals to break the current deadlock.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed on social media that Iran had requested a ceasefire, which Iran subsequently denied. Sources familiar with the matter said Trump had suggested that the US might consider a ceasefire if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
According to mediators, Iran initially stated that it would only consider ending hostilities if the US agreed to pay reparations, withdraw military bases from the Middle East, and provide guarantees against future attacks.