A Pakistani delegation remained in Tehran on Thursday to press for renewed dialogue between Iran and the United States, officials said, as Islamabad pursues mediation efforts following an initial round of talks that failed to yield a deal.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in a preliminary session on Wednesday. Iran’s state media reported the talks would continue, with Pakistani and Iranian officials seeking ways to bridge differences and extend the current ceasefire between Tehran and Washington, which is due to expire next Wednesday.
A spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said no dates have yet been set for a second round of US‑Iran talks. The White House has suggested any further meetings would likely take place in Islamabad.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Munir’s visit had helped reduce differences in some areas and “created more hopes” for extending the ceasefire and holding further negotiations. But the official said major disputes remain — notably the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium and the duration of limitations on its nuclear program — and that no solution has been found on those nuclear issues.
Last weekend’s talks in Islamabad ended without agreement. US Vice President JD Vance described the American offer as the “final and best” one, while Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, said the US had failed to win Iranian trust.
Separately, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Qatar on Thursday as part of a regional trip that also includes Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Sharif met Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss regional and international developments. Qatar praised Pakistan’s role as a mediator in the US‑Iran ceasefire and both leaders expressed support for de‑escalation and international coordination to safeguard regional security and energy supply chains.
The Pakistani mediation follows an April 8 ceasefire between the US and Iran. Islamabad has offered to host or facilitate further talks to solidify and extend the truce, but key disagreements — particularly about Iran’s nuclear stockpiles and restrictions — remain obstacles to a comprehensive agreement.