Analyst: Pakistan is Working to Facilitate Next Round of US-Iran Talks, but Prospects Remain Dim

On April 20, reports from the Associated Press and other media indicate that since Sunday, Pakistan has intensified its diplomatic efforts aimed at encouraging the United States and Iran to sit down for negotiations “as early as Tuesday.” This comes after Iran, dissatisfied with the U.S. maintaining a maritime blockade, once again closed the Strait of Hormuz. However, President Trump has expressed optimism about reaching an agreement. He also stated that U.S. representatives would travel to Islamabad for talks today. An analyst noted that he still believes there is a likelihood that both sides will engage in some form of negotiations within this week, potentially as soon as tomorrow, but he does not hold out much hope. This is especially true if one expects a comprehensive peace agreement or a significant reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Regarding the latter, Iran is well aware that control over the strait is their most important bargaining chip at the moment. Therefore, he does not believe Iran will relinquish this point. Of course, they may ease regulations on which and how many ships can pass through, but a complete reopening is not anticipated. Just recently, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that there are currently no plans for a second round of negotiations with the U.S.