Second round of US-Iran talks likely? Pakistani delegation heads to Tehran with US message

A Pakistani delegation is headed to Iran to deliver a message from the United States, according to Iranian state media reports on Wednesday.

The visit could also pave the way for a second round of talks between Washington and Tehran, Reuters reported, citing the same sources. Earlier in the day, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed during a weekly briefing that Tehran was “very likely” to receive a Pakistani delegation as part of ongoing diplomatic exchanges following discussions in Islamabad.

The latest round of US-Iran talks held over the weekend in Pakistan’s capital failed to yield any concrete outcome. “Since Sunday, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, several messages have been exchanged through Pakistan,” Baqaei said, adding that some US demands were “unreasonable and unrealistic,” without giving further details.

US President Donald Trump has indicated that talks with Iran could resume as early as this week. His remarks come even as the US military announced a naval blockade aimed at cutting off Iran’s maritime trade. Trump told the New York Post that another round of dialogue in Pakistan could take place “over the next two days.”

US ramps up pressure on Iran

While Pakistan is attempting to bring both sides back to the negotiating table, the United States appears to be increasing pressure on Tehran. The US Central Command said its naval blockade had been “fully implemented,” claiming that American forces had halted sea-based trade with Iran.

However, maritime tracking data cited by AFP suggested that several vessels departing Iranian ports continued to pass through the Strait of Hormuz despite the blockade.

The talks remain deadlocked over two major issues: control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme. Trump has insisted that any agreement must permanently prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities, while Tehran maintains its uranium enrichment is strictly for civilian use.

US Vice-President J D Vance, who led the American delegation in Islamabad, said Trump had offered a broad deal that would allow Iran to prosper if it abandoned its nuclear ambitions. “That’s the kind of Trumpian grand bargain the president has put on the table,” Vance said, adding that negotiations would continue.