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World
Iranian officials express divided opinions on Pakistan's mediation role in US negotiations, risking the breakdown of talks with President Donald Trump.
In recent hours, Iran has witnessed conflicting positions and statements regarding Pakistan’s mediation in negotiations with the United States and its potential to influence the success of talks with US President Donald Trump.
Officials and politicians from various factions within the Iranian regime, including representatives of the hardline current, have expressed divergent views on Pakistan’s role. Some endorse Pakistan’s involvement, emphasizing its importance as a governing system, while others reject both the mediation and negotiations with America outright.
This debate coincided with the arrival of Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, in Tehran to hold discussions with Iranian officials amid a sensitive period marked by escalating skirmishes between the opposing sides in the region.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni on Saturday evening, Pakistan’s Interior Minister conveyed that he carried an "important message" for Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Meanwhile, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni described Pakistan as "a friendly, brotherly, and neighboring country," revealing that the two nations agreed to increase their economic exchanges to $10 billion.
Momeni also expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s "active role in mediating to reduce tensions between Iran and America," according to his statement published by Tasnim.
Conversely, Mohammad Javad Larijani, a prominent figure within Iran’s hardline faction, criticized Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran.
In an interview with the Iranian "Khabar" channel, Larijani emphasized that Iran "does not need a mediator if it wishes to negotiate directly" with the American side.
He described Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as "a good person" but added that "his country lacks a genuine mediation mechanism," reflecting his viewpoint.
An Iranian website reported that Pakistan is carrying a new proposal aimed at breaking the deadlock between Tehran and Washington.
The United States and Iran are engaged in largely indirect negotiations intended to reach a temporary agreement to halt the ongoing war that has lasted three months, leaving issues such as Iran’s nuclear program to be addressed in subsequent talks.
However, achieving an agreement has remained elusive amid repeated clashes between the two sides, which have intensified in recent days.
Tehran seeks to secure billions of dollars in oil revenues, exemptions from sanctions on crude oil exports, the lifting of the US blockade on its ports, and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Concerns have also arisen about Israel potentially crossing "red lines" with the United States due to the ongoing war involving Iran.
