New regional push to revive Iran-US peace talks
Security chief vows anti-US strikes until ‘enemy’s total surrender’
There are reportedly new efforts by mediator Pakistan and China to resume stalled Iran-US talks over ending their nearly five-month-old war as the two appeared stopped attacking each other after nearly two weeks.
Three Pakistani sources said Islamabad is exploring a path toward a resumption of negotiations following a push initiated by China.
The sources said exploratory discussions took place during a visit by Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad this week — his second within the last 10 days, during which Momeni met with Pakistani government leaders and army chief Asim Munir.
All three sources cautioned that the obstacles to any talks with the US remain high. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, discussed the new effort with Chinese officials when he visited China last week, all three Pakistani sources said. In a statement, China’s Foreign Ministry said, “China supports the mediation efforts made by Pakistan and other parties.”
It added that China will continue to play an active role in restoring peace and tranquility in the Middle East Persian Gulf region as soon as possible.
Beijing has consistently backed Pakistan’s mediation efforts and had in March dispatched its special envoy to lead a shuttle-diplomacy trip around the Middle East.
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June to move toward ending the war after mediation by Pakistan and Qatar.
It was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement.
But the US violations of the agreement led to resumption of the conflict with both sides announcing the suspension of the negotiations.
However, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington and Tehran were in talks to negotiate an end to their conflict, but repeated that Tehran was not yet ready for a deal.
"We are talking to them. I think they're being serious. I think ... they are being by far the most serious that we've seen them, but that doesn't mean we get there. We'll see what happens," Trump said in remarks to reporters at the White House.
There were no reports of exchange of fire on Saturday after 13 consecutive nights of conflict between the two sides.
Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour posted on X, saying that "Iran had a peaceful night," without any attacks reported. The US Central Command didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. However, unlike the previous 13 nights, it did not announce new strikes.
There were also no reports of Iran’s retaliatory attacks against US bases in regional countries. However, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohammad-Bagher Zolghadr said on Saturday that strikes against US targets will continue until the “enemy’s total surrender” and in retaliation for the massacre of children in Minab and Lamerd.
Zolghadr said, “Every column of smoke in the region means that a US military, security, or financial center has been targeted.”
He added that the “continuous and targeted strikes” by Iranian fighters were “the lashes of the anger of the awakened Iranian nation upon the back of the system of domination,” and would continue “until the enemy’s total surrender and revenge is taken for the blood of the oppressed children of Minab and Lamerd, God willing.”