Mediators actively work on developing a framework that could pave the way for new negotiations and prevent new American and Israeli strikes against Iran, the Wall Street Journal summarizes. Strikes that, according to Middle East officials, could occur within days in the absence of a diplomatic breakthrough.
Pakistan and other countries in the region involved in the talks “are trying to bridge the gap between American demands on the containment of the Iranian nuclear program and Tehran’s goal, which wants to limit any immediate agreement to only the cessation of hostilities, the lifting of restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, and the easing of financial sanctions,” according to the economic newspaper.
“Pakistan intensified its efforts this week to obtain a compromise between Washington and Tehran that would formalize the fragile cessation of hostilities in effect since April 8,” confirms El País.
Growing Concerns
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday in Tehran, and Pakistani Army Chief Marshal Asim Munir arrived in the Iranian capital on the same day, according to the Spanish newspaper.
“This high-level visit seemed to indicate that diplomatic efforts were gaining momentum, amid growing fears of a return to open warfare,” as Qatar also dispatched a delegation to Iran “to facilitate an agreement between Washington and Tehran,” observes The New York Times.
The decision to send this delegation “was made in coordination with the United States,” as Qatar had already played “a discreet intermediary role with Iranian officials,” the American newspaper specifies.
“Positive Atmosphere”
An Iranian official told Al Jazeera that a ceasefire on “all fronts” was “the essential prerequisite for any future negotiations,” adding that while no final agreement had yet been reached, efforts were “underway” to bridge the gap between Tehran and Washington.
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