United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to visit Pakistan on Saturday, while Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has already reached Islamabad.
The US and Iran remain stuck in a costly deadlock as Iran has mostly shut the Strait of Hormuz, which usually handles one-fifth of global oil trade, and the US has blocked Iran’s oil exports.
The conflict, now in its ninth week, has led energy prices to levels not seen in years, adding pressure on inflation and raising concerns about global economic growth.
Direct or indirect talks? A cloud of uncertainty shrouds Islamabad as the White House said envoys would travel to Islamabad to 'hear the Iranians out', but Iran said it will not hold any direct talks with the US.
Pakistani officials will pass messages between the two sides, but the lack of clarity over the talks does not rule out some form of communication between the two sides.
The previous talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad broke down over three key points: Tehran's highly enriched uranium (HEU) and its nuclear programme, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel's war in Lebanon.
