ISLAMABAD: Amid positive signals to prevent conflict in the Middle East, Pakistan has been invited to join US–Iran talks aimed at easing tensions between Washington and Tehran, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed on Tuesday.
Andrabi said, “We have received the invitation” for the upcoming US-Iran talks, which are reportedly scheduled to be held in Istanbul, Turkiye. Besides Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have also been invited to participate in the talks, which are primarily aimed at persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear arms programme— a demand consistently pursued by Israel.
Pakistan’s participation is seen as crucial to defusing tensions between the United States and Iran, diplomatic sources said.
READ MORE: Iran, US to hold nuclear talks on Friday
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to represent Pakistan in the meeting, scheduled for Friday. According to an Arab official, the parties are going to discuss sensitive matter. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet with President Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff in Istanbul to discuss a possible deal on the nuclear issue.
The priority of the talks is to avoid any conflict and de-escalate tensions between the two sides, a regional official said. Pakistan, Türkiye, and other regional powers continued to insist on giving peace and dialogue a chance to avert war in the region, which is why they have been invited to participate in the negotiations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Tuesday that he has instructed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations” provided that an environment “free from threats and unreasonable expectations”. The talks will be held “within the framework of our national interests”, the Iranian President said in a series of posts on his X account.
US President Donald Trump has maintained he is hopeful that Washington will “work something out” with Iran, but also warned on Monday that “bad things would happen” if no deal is reached. In an interview with an American news channel, the Iranian Foreign Minister has said, “President Trump said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree. We fully agree with that. That could be a very good deal.In return, we expect sanctions lifting.”
Iran has long maintained that its key condition for engaging in nuclear agreements—most notably the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—is the full and verifiable lifting of US and international economic sanctions, especially those affecting its oil exports and banking sector. In return, Iran agreed to curb uranium enrichment, reduce its stockpiles, and allow extensive international monitoring.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026