Pakistan expects to host 2nd round of US-Iran talks next week

Pakistan is expecting to host a second round of stalled peace talks between the US and Iran next week to end their war, two Pakistani government sources familiar with the mediation told Anadolu on Wednesday.

The sources added that Islamabad expects the US and Iran to reach a "primary" agreement before Trump's China visit, which is scheduled for May 14-15.

"Considering the latest developments, Pakistan is hopeful about the resumption of talks between the two sides next week to bring a negotiated settlement to the Middle East conflict," a source said, referring to the pause on Washington's so-called "Operation Freedom," as well as the release this week of a seized Iranian ship and its crew.

"Almost 80% to 85% of the issues between the two sides have been already settled, however, the core nuclear issue still remains a major bottleneck," the source added.

Earlier, the US had rejected Iran’s proposal to delay talks on its nuclear program while including talks on the Strait of Hormuz.

However, Washington insisted on keeping the nuclear program in talks towards a permanent ceasefire.

In its 14-point revised proposal, Iran last month suggested transforming the ceasefire into a permanent end to war and deferring the nuclear issue to a later stage.

Tehran is expected to respond to the US proposal demanding inclusion of the nuclear issue in talks to permanently end the war "by the end of this week," sources said.

On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters that Tehran is reviewing the US proposals.

Trump announced Tuesday that the US military will temporarily pause "Project Freedom," its effort to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

He said the decision was made at the request of Pakistan and other countries and follows what he called “tremendous military success” during the US campaign against Iran.

'Primary' agreement possible

Pakistan hosted the first round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran on April 11-12 but failed to produce an agreement to end the war.

The talks followed a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8, which was later extended by Trump.

Expressing cautious optimism, Pakistani sources said that the US and Iran "may" reach a "primary" agreement before Trump's upcoming China visit.

"We cannot write off the possibility of a primary agreement between the two sides in (a possible) second round of talks in Islamabad," the sources said, adding that Trump "would love to have an agreement with Iran before his China visit."

The two sides, according to the sources, have already included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, an end to the US blockade of Iranian naval ports, and the release of billions of dollars in Tehran's frozen assets.

However, they are still sticking to their stance on the nuclear issue, the sources added.

"Pakistan has intensified its efforts to bring the two sides to a middle way on the nuclear issue to bring the two sides to negotiation," the sources said

"Although nothing is finalized yet” about a primary deal, the sources said, there are “positive signals from both sides; most recently the end of the so-called Operation Freedom, and the release of a seized Iranian ship and its crew, have raised hopes for a negotiated settlement to the conflict.”

US outlet Axios reported Wednesday that Washington is getting close to an agreement with Iran on a "one-page memorandum of understanding" to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.

Washington expects Iranian responses on several key points in the next 48 hours, it reported, adding that "nothing has been agreed yet, but the sources said this was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began."