Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Iran said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad and arrived in Muscat on Saturday to hold meetings with Omani officials. He is also expected to travel to Russia to discuss efforts to end the war that the United States and Israel started against Iran on February 28.
Araqchi described his trip to Pakistan as “very productive” in a post on Channel X, adding that he shared Iran’s position on “a practical framework to end the war permanently.” He added: “We have yet to see whether the United States is really serious about diplomacy.” Even before Trump’s announcement, the prospects for new talks were uncertain, with Iranian state television saying that Araqchi had no plans to meet with the Americans, and that Islamabad would serve as a bridge to “transfer” the Iranian proposals. Before leaving for Islamabad on Friday, Araqchi said that he will begin a timely tour to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow, and the purpose of his visits is “close coordination with our partners on bilateral issues and consultation on regional developments.” He added: “Our neighbors are our priority.” Pakistani Foreign Minister Dar said that his country is working to facilitate the Iranian-American talks and will continue its efforts to achieve peace in the region and beyond. Dar, who held a meeting at the Foreign Ministry to review the latest developments, said that Pakistan’s official policy statements regarding the Iran-US facilitation process are only those issued by official sources. He added, “The unnamed Pakistani officials or sources, whether quoted by print media or social media, do not reflect the official Pakistani position.”
