Iran shows willingness to resume US dialogue

Iran has indicated that it may be willing to return to negotiations with the United States as diplomatic efforts intensify to reduce tensions between the two countries.

The development came during a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran. Naqvi travelled to the Iranian capital as part of Pakistan’s efforts to help revive the stalled diplomatic process between Washington and Tehran. A Pakistani source described the meeting as showing progress, while Naqvi said discussions focused on the mediation process.

Naqvi also met his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, during the visit. Momeni expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability and thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role in the diplomatic efforts.

The latest contacts come amid increased diplomatic activity aimed at preventing further escalation in the region. Pakistan and Qatar have maintained communication with both Tehran and Washington, with Qatar also working to bridge differences between the two sides.

Iran has conveyed several conditions for the resumption of negotiations through Qatari mediators. These reportedly include an end to fighting on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian assets and the lifting of the US naval blockade. Iranian officials have said that seven conditions were communicated, although not all have been made public.

The diplomatic efforts follow the collapse of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding reached in June with Pakistan’s mediation. The agreement had provided a framework for reducing hostilities and restarting dialogue between Iran and the United States, but implementation later stalled. Iran has previously called on Washington to honour the framework and return to negotiations.

The situation remains closely linked to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy shipments. Tehran has continued to link the reopening of the strategic waterway to the fulfilment of its conditions, while the wider conflict has disrupted energy supplies and increased regional tensions.

Pakistan has continued to advocate dialogue and diplomacy as a way to resolve the standoff. Its Foreign Office has said Islamabad remains engaged in efforts to bring the parties back to the negotiating table and has continued to support the Islamabad MoU as a framework for a negotiated settlement