Key Points
- Trump still seeks diplomatic solution despite airstrikes.
- Strait of Hormuz reopening remains US priority.
- Mediators want nuclear agreement negotiations revived.
- Regional powers held multiple calls with both sides.
- Iran accuses US of violating memorandum.
- Asim Munir received message from Iranian foreign minister.
- Technical nuclear negotiations reportedly continue.
ISLAMABAD: Regional powers, including Pakistan and Qatar, are making fresh diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran and revive negotiations on a nuclear agreement, according to Axios, a US-based digital news outlet.
Diplomatic push
Citing two sources from countries involved in mediation and a US official, Axios reported that Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt have intensified contacts with both Washington and Tehran following the latest military escalation.
The report said the mediators believe progress made during earlier rounds of nuclear negotiations should not be allowed to unravel despite recent hostilities.
Trump seeks negotiations
According to Axios, although US President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) and the ceasefire were effectively over and ordered two rounds of airstrikes, his administration still wants to prevent a wider conflict.
The report said Trump remains focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and is seeking a diplomatic resolution to avoid an all-out war with Iran.
Axios reported that Qatari negotiators travelled to Iran on Friday, in coordination with Washington, to meet Iranian officials and explore ways to reduce tensions and create conditions for restarting negotiations.
A diplomat familiar with the visit told Axios that talks in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad were continuing and that both sides appeared interested in returning to the memorandum of understanding.
Regional coordination
The report said senior officials from Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt held several telephone conversations on Wednesday and Thursday with both US and Iranian counterparts in an effort to calm the situation.
According to Axios, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, that recent US attacks and rhetoric violated the memorandum of understanding. The remarks were published on Araghchi’s official Telegram channel.
One regional source involved in the mediation efforts told Axios that diplomats are working first to secure de-escalation before setting a date for another round of technical negotiations.
Axios reported that, following two days of military exchanges between the United States and Iran, Thursday witnessed a noticeable reduction in tensions.
Although some Iranian media reported explosions in southern Iran, US officials told Axios that no new American strikes had been carried out, describing the relative calm as a result of ongoing diplomatic efforts.
US stance unchanged
According to Axios, President Trump met his senior national security team on Thursday to discuss developments and future policy.
Following the meeting, a US official told the publication that the administration remained committed to reaching a negotiated settlement and that technical-level discussions on a nuclear deal were continuing.
However, the official also accused Iran of violating the memorandum of understanding, calling Tehran’s reported attacks on commercial vessels “acts of terrorism” and saying the agreement was based on performance that Iran had failed to uphold.
