Pakistan has been invited to participate in upcoming talks between the United States and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear programme, which are scheduled to take place in Turkiye, the Foreign Office confirmed on Tuesday.
“Pakistan has received the invitation for the upcoming talks between Iran and the United States,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said while responding to a query.
He said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar would represent Pakistan at the discussions.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Iranian and US officials said that Washington and Tehran will resume nuclear negotiations on Friday in Istanbul, amid heightened regional tensions and diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi are expected to meet in Istanbul in a bid to revive diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear programme and ease fears of a broader regional conflict.
A regional diplomat said representatives from several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, would also attend the Istanbul meeting.
“Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt, as well as some other countries, will attend the Istanbul meeting. There will be bilateral, trilateral and other meetings,” the diplomat said.
Turkiye and other regional allies have been pushing for de-escalation as tensions rise following a US naval buildup near Iran. The deployment came after a violent crackdown on anti-government protests last month, the deadliest unrest in Iran since the 1979 revolution.
US President Donald Trump, who refrained from direct intervention during the unrest, has since demanded nuclear concessions from Tehran and dispatched a naval flotilla to the region. He said last week Iran was “seriously talking”, while Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani said preparations for negotiations were underway.
According to Iranian sources cited by Reuters, Washington has demanded zero uranium enrichment, curbs on Iran’s ballistic missile programme, and an end to Tehran’s support for regional proxy groups. Iran has rejected all three demands as violations of its sovereignty, though officials indicated the missile programme remains a key sticking point.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was reviewing “the various dimensions and aspects of the talks”, adding that “time is of the essence for Iran as it wants the lifting of unjust sanctions sooner”.
A Turkish ruling party official told Reuters that both sides had agreed to refocus on diplomacy this week, raising hopes of a temporary reprieve from possible US military action.
Meanwhile, Witkoff is also expected to visit Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s military chief, according to Israeli officials.
