TEHRAN: Iran on Wednesday confirmed that communication with the United States, facilitated through Pakistan, has continued following the recent talks held in Islamabad over the weekend.
“Since Sunday, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, several messages have been exchanged through Pakistan,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a weekly press briefing.
“Today, we are very likely to receive a Pakistani delegation as a continuation of the discussions in Islamabad,” he added.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson reiterated that the country’s right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable; however, he said that the level of enrichment is negotiable.
“Regarding the level and type of enrichment, we have always stated that this issue is negotiable. We have emphasised that Iran should be able to continue enrichment in accordance with its needs,” he added.
Islamabad Talks included demands for a full end to the war, lifting of sanctions on Iran, and retribution for damages stemming from US-Israeli across the country, the spokesperson added.
Earlier, President Donald Trump said that the war with Iran is “close to over”, expressing confidence that ongoing diplomatic efforts could soon yield results.
“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo, excerpts of which were shared on social media platform X.
He added that Iran was eager to reach an agreement. “I think they want to make a deal very badly,” Trump said, while also warning that the situation remains fluid.
“You know what, if I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country, and we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly,” he added.
The remarks come as diplomatic efforts intensify following talks held in Islamabad over the weekend aimed at ending the conflict, which began on February 28.
A two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8 remains in place, providing space for diplomacy to move forward.
During the first round of talks in Islamabad, the US negotiation team was led by US Vice President JD Vance, and the Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
