No date has been set for the next round of Iran–US peace talks brokered by Pakistan following the failure of an initial round, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said on Saturday.
“Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date,” Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual diplomatic forum in Turkey’s southern Antalya province.
“We hope that as soon as we can finalise that, then we can move on to the next step”.
Khatibzadeh said both sides were currently focused on finalising a framework of understanding before proceeding with further negotiations.
“We do not want to enter into any negotiation or meeting that is destined to fail and could serve as a pretext for another round of escalation,” he said.
“I can assure you that Iran is very much committed to diplomacy”.
Pakistan’s powerful military chief and prime minister concluded separate visits aimed at ending the Iran war, with Field Marshal Asim Munir leaving Tehran and premier Shehbaz Sharif headed home from Turkey.
Munir met Iran’s top leadership and peace negotiators during a three-day visit to Tehran, a Pakistani military statement said.
Egypt and Pakistan were working “very hard” as mediators to bring about “a final agreement between the United States and Iran”, Egypt’s foreign minister told journalists at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
Egypt and Turkey has joined diplomatic efforts with Pakistan to help secure a ceasefire in the conflict.
“We hope to do so (reach an agreement) in the coming days,” Badr Abdelatty said, noting that “not only us in the region, but the whole world is suffering from the continuation of this war”.
“We are pushing very hard in order to move forward,” he said.
Iran dismissed US threats of fresh military action, with the senior Iranian official saying that Washington’s statements were inconsistent.
“The American side tweets a lot, talks a lot. Sometimes confusing, sometimes, you know, contradictory,” Khatibzadeh said, referring to US President Donald Trump and his frequent social media posts.
“It is up to the American people to decide whether these statements are consistent and in accordance with international law,” he added.
