Pakistan Set to Host Third Round of US-Iran Technical Talks
News Desk
Islamabad: Pakistan is expected to host the next round of technical-level talks between the United States and Iran on July 14 and 15, as efforts continue to secure a lasting peace framework for the Middle East, government sources said on Sunday.
According to sources familiar with the development, technical experts from both the US and Iran are expected to participate in what would be the third round of negotiations, with Pakistan acting as a mediator.
The talks are expected to focus on key issues, including US sanctions on Iran, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The first two rounds of technical discussions were held in Switzerland’s Burgenstock and Qatar’s Doha.
According to Al Arabiya, the level of representation in the Iranian delegation will be determined after the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Sources familiar with the previous Doha negotiations said the delegations spent two days discussing maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the unfreezing of Iranian funds, two major issues covered under an initial agreement reached between the two sides.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry had described the Doha discussions as making “positive progress” on issues related to the memorandum that ended hostilities in June, adding that the negotiations were building on the outcomes of an earlier summit in Switzerland.
In June, Washington and Tehran reached a memorandum of understanding, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, which established a 60-day ceasefire after months of conflict.
The agreement also led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and laid out a roadmap for broader negotiations on regional security, reconstruction assistance for Iran and the future of the country’s nuclear programme.
Following the latest indirect talks in Doha, US President Donald Trump, along with mediators Pakistan and Qatar, expressed optimism that diplomatic engagement was continuing to produce results.
In a joint statement issued after the meetings, Pakistan and Qatar said separate discussions with US and Iranian negotiators had resulted in “positive progress.”
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who headed Tehran’s delegation in Doha, said both sides agreed to establish a communications mechanism to report and document alleged violations of the memorandum.
He added that negotiators also discussed the release of frozen Iranian assets and reviewed the use of an initial $6 billion, agreeing that essential goods required by Iran would be purchased and made available.
The negotiations are part of broader diplomatic efforts following the conflict that erupted in late February, which resulted in significant casualties and heightened regional instability.
