TEHRAN, Iran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a phone call, on Wednesday discussed the progress of the Iran-US talks in Islamabad, Iran’s state media reported.
The two leaders discussed the latest regional developments and exchanged views on the progress of the Iran-US negotiations in Islamabad, Press TV reported.
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has held a phone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss the latest regional developments. The two discussed and exchanged views on the progress of the Iran-US negotiations in Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/Ldri0X6V6U
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 15, 2026
US and Iranian negotiators have made progress in back-channel communications, moving closer to a framework agreement to end the war, Axios reported, citing US officials.
One of the officials said US President Donald Trump’s negotiating team, Vice President JD Vance, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner, “continued making calls and exchanging draft proposals with the Iranians and (Pakistani) mediators”, Axios reported.
“They were on the phone and backchanneling with all the countries and they are getting closer,” Axios quoted the US official as saying.
A second US official confirmed to Axios that “progress was made”.
“We want to make a deal. And parts of their government want to make a deal. Now the trick is to get the whole of government over there to make the deal,” a third US official has been quoted as saying in the report.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue.
Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday as part of a high-stakes diplomatic push to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received the Pakistani delegation.
The arrival of the high-level Pakistani delegation underscores Islamabad’s effort to position itself as a credible mediator, leveraging its longstanding ties with both Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan maintains a friendly relationship with the United States, while also sharing deep historical, cultural, and border-linked ties with Iran — placing it in a unique position to facilitate dialogue.
Diplomatic sources indicate that Pakistan is quietly working to explore backchannel communications aimed at reducing tensions and preventing further escalation.
Pakistan has consistently advocated for restraint and dialogue, urging all parties to avoid actions that could spiral into open conflict.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, beginning a four-day diplomatic visit, as Islamabad intensifies efforts ahead of a possible second round of US-Iran peace talks.
“The Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. The meeting will include discussions about the deepening of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia partnership, as well as the wider situation in the region,” it said.
Sharif is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who was involved in mediating the US-Iran talks, along with other senior officials.
The prime minister will also travel to Qatar and Turkiye following his visit to the Kingdom, the Foreign Office said. It added that the visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar taking place in a bilateral context, where the prime minister will meet the respective leadership to discuss ongoing cooperation as well as regional peace and security.
The trip comes after Washington and Tehran held rare face-to-face talks in Islamabad over the weekend, with efforts underway to end a conflict that began more than six weeks ago following US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
