The US and Iran have been in indirect talks aimed at extending the two-week ceasefire beyond its expiry on 22 April, as Pakistan’s army chief arrived in Tehran to continue mediation efforts, The Guardian reports.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, denied on Wednesday that the US had “formally” requested to extend the two-week ceasefire but added that Washington remained “very much engaged in these negotiations”.
A second round of negotiations would “very likely” be held in Islamabad, she said, adding that the White House feels “good about the prospects of a deal” only days after negotiations to reach a peace agreement failed.
Field Marshal Asim Munir led a Pakistani delegation to Tehran on Wednesday to convey a message from Washington, while working to arrange a second round of US-Iranian ceasefire negotiations. The high-powered delegation also included the interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, officials in Islamabad said.
On the same day, Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, set off on a four-day tour to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, in an attempt to bolster peace efforts by coordinating support from other regional powers.
