Iran's envoy says any future US talks to be held only in Pakistan

Iran’s envoy to Pakistan on Thursday said that any second round of talks with the US will be held only in Islamabad, saying Pakistan is a “credible and neutral facilitator,” according to a local media report.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad, Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam expressed strong confidence in Islamabad, Hum News reported.

“We trust Pakistan, not the United States,” he said, adding that Washington is a country “that cannot be relied upon.”

Any future talks would take place in Pakistan “and nowhere else," Moghadam stressed.

Earlier, the White House also said the expected talks will likely be held in Islamabad.

Pakistan hosted the highest-level talks between the US and Iran since 1979 over the weekend, which, however, remained inconclusive.

Urging against speculation, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi on Thursday said that the US and Iran remain willing to engage as dialogue continues.

Andrabi said Iran’s nuclear program was among the issues discussed in the ongoing negotiations, which he described as “serious and constructive.”

Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, is currently visiting Iran for talks with Iranian leaders.

Pakistan hosted the negotiations after brokering a 14-day ceasefire between Washington and Tehran on April 8, the first time since the US and Israel launched a military offensive against Iran on Feb. 28.