Talks about an end to the Iran war are entering a new round in Pakistan with many uncertainties.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met on Saturday with Pakistani Defense Minister Field Marshal Asim Munir, who plays a key role in the negotiations between Iran and the US, according to state broadcaster Irib.
The White House also announced a trip to Pakistan by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. According to Iranian Foreign Office spokesman Ismail Baghaei, no meeting with the US side has been planned yet. The Tasnim news agency also described an alleged request from Iran for a personal meeting, which US government spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt spoke of, as false. The agency is considered the mouthpiece of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite armed forces.
Due to differing statements from both sides, it remained unclear whether the conflicting parties were simply exchanging messages through Pakistani mediators or perhaps speaking to each other directly. Both delegations are reportedly not accompanied by experts to discuss, for example, intricate details of Iran’s nuclear program.
Different signals from Tehra
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Foreign Minister Araghchi emphasized on Platform X that he only wanted to coordinate with his Pakistani partners. Security sources in Pakistan reported that the Iranian chief diplomat wanted to discuss a counter-proposal for negotiations with the USA.
However, experts suspect that the minister does not have the necessary scope for action. It is believed that the influential Revolutionary Guards and politicians allied with them are largely determining the line of negotiations in Tehran. According to many Iran experts, the Revolutionary Guards are currently in charge in Tehran.
Araghchi served in the Revolutionary Guards during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. The now 63-year-old went on to have a career in the Foreign Ministry, including as a diplomat, ambassador and foreign minister. He is considered an experienced nuclear negotiator with reliable contacts in Tehran’s power apparatus
Blocked sea routes and nuclear dispute
The central points of contention in the ongoing conflict remain the Iranian nuclear program and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
* Nuclear program: The US is demanding a guarantee that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons. However, Tehran maintains its right to enrich uranium. The West is particularly critical of the stockpile of around 440 kilograms of uranium, which has been enriched to 60 percent and, if further processed, could be used to build several nuclear weapons.
* Strait of Hormuz: Due to Iranian attacks and a US naval blockade, shipping traffic in the strategically important strait is almost completely at a standstill. The USA demands free passage without tariffs; Iran maintains control over the body of water, which serves as a transport route for much of the world’s oil and gas trade.
* Finance: Tehran demands the release of frozen assets abroad as a precondition.
On Tuesday, Trump unilaterally extended the ceasefire with Iran without a clear end. Shortly before, Iran had refused to take part in further negotiations in Pakistan. Iran’s neighboring country is mediating in the conflict. Negotiators from the conflicting parties met in Islamabad for a first round of talks, which ended without results.
Iran: We still have a lot of missiles
Despite the destruction caused by air strikes by the USA and Israel, Iran still has a large part of its missile arsenal that has not been used in the conflict so far, according to its defense ministry. According to the Tasnim news agency, ministry spokesman General Reza Talaie-Nik also said that the domestic one Defense industry continue their work despite the damage to some production centers. Iran currently produces more than 1,000 types of weapons in around 900 companies, including missiles, drones and military equipment. An independent verification of the information is currently not possible.
Attacks despite ceasefire in Lebanon
The situation in Lebanon remains tense despite an extension of the ceasefire. Israel’s army said it had attacked several Hezbollah militia rocket launch pads in southern Lebanon during the night. These posed a threat to Israeli civilians and soldiers.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported six dead and two injured in Israeli airstrikes on Friday. According to the NNA news agency, the six people died in bombardments in the towns of Wadi al-Hujar, Srifa, Jatir and Tulin in the south of the country.
Pistorius has minesweepers relocated to the Mediterranean
In preparation for a possible operation in the Strait of Hormuz, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that German naval units would be mobilized. “We will move a minesweeper to the Mediterranean and provide it with a command and supply ship,” said the SPD politician to the “Rheinische Post”. He didn’t say exactly when they should leave.
Pistorius emphasized that the prerequisite for deployment was an end to the fighting in the US and Israel’s war with Iran. He also recalled that such an operation was only possible with a mandate from the Bundestag.
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ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN/WASHINGTON/BERLIN (dpa-AFX)
