WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that progress was being made in Pakistan-mediated talks with Iran, despite disagreements over some issues following the first round of direct talks between Washington and Tehran held in Islamabad last month.
“I think that we are making progress. The fundamental question is do we make enough progress that we satisfy the president’s red line?” Vance told reporters at the White House.
“And the red line is very simple. He needs to feel confident that we put a number of protections in place such that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he added.
The remarks came after US President Donald Trump on Monday rejected Tehran’s latest proposal as unacceptable, amid Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts to end the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
The first round of Pakistan-mediated direct talks the US and Iranian negotiators in Islamabad on April 11 and 12 concluded without a final agreement.
However, Islamabad Talks paved the way for further negotiations as Washington and Tehran continued exchanging proposals through Pakistan to end the conflict.
Vance led the US negotiation team, while Iran’s negotiating team was headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of Iran’s negotiating team, said the United States had presented two major demands during the Islamabad Talks, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
Nabavian said Washington had demanded the complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of all uranium enriched to 60 percent from Iran.
Nabavian further claimed the United States had offered to release $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets if Tehran cooperated with the demands discussed during the negotiations.
Pakistan’s mediation efforts
Pakistan has continued diplomatic efforts aimed at facilitating dialogue between Tehran and Washington and encouraging de-escalation through diplomacy.
On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to “proactive diplomacy and sustained regional engagement”.
Pakistan brokered a ceasefire between Iran and the United States on April 8 to halt the conflict.
Three days later, Islamabad hosted direct negotiations between US and Iranian delegations in an effort to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised Pakistan’s mediation role during a telephone conversation with Dar.
“The two leaders exchanged in-depth views on recent regional developments and Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to facilitate engagement between Iran and the United States, aimed at promoting sustained peace and stability in the region and beyond,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.
Trump praises Pakistan’s role
On Tuesday, Trump also praised Pakistan’s “great” mediation efforts.
Speaking on Tuesday, the US president commended Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for helping secure the April ceasefire.
“They’re great. I think the Pakistanis have been great. The Field Marshal and the Prime Minister of Pakistan have been absolutely great,” Trump said.
