Islamabad-mediated channel keeps diplomacy alive, but the two sides remain fundamentally split on sequencing
Pakistan's mediation effort between the United States and Iran is holding together, but the talks show no sign of an imminent breakthrough, with the two sides locked in a fundamental disagreement over what comes first: a broader peace settlement or nuclear concessions.
Iran has submitted a revised 14-point ceasefire proposal to Washington via Pakistani intermediaries, insisting that a permanent end to hostilities, the lifting of US sanctions, the removal of the naval blockade, and the release of frozen assets must all be agreed before any discussion of nuclear restrictions can begin. Tehran has also indicated it will seek war reparations and refuses to place uranium enrichment on the table as part of any initial agreement.
Washington is pushing in the opposite direction. The Trump administration, led in these talks by special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner, has insisted that nuclear concessions — including limits on enrichment and the disposal of Iran's stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium — must be part of any deal from the outset, not deferred to a later phase. President Trump has said publicly that Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear bomb under any agreement.
In a sign of some tactical flexibility, however, US proposals seen by mediators reportedly include a possible temporary waiver of oil sanctions during the negotiation period — a notable shift that Iran's foreign ministry acknowledged but said fell far short of its demands.
Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, is reportedly intensifying shuttle diplomacy between Islamabad and Tehran, with a possible visit to the Iranian capital under consideration. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that "signs of progress" exist, while warning that "major challenges remain".
The two sides have been exchanging proposals through Pakistani channels since high-level face-to-face talks in Islamabad in April ended after 21 hours without an agreement. Analysts warn that the trust deficit between Washington and Tehran — compounded by continued US sanctions pressure and Iran's refusal to budge on enrichment — makes any near-term comprehensive deal unlikely.
Illustration: Perplexity