Athens, April 27 With the second round of US-Iran talks to be held in Pakistan faltering, frustration is growing in Islamabad, which has remained under a virtual lockdown for nearly a week amid heightened security and preparations for the foreign delegations.
Residents and local commentators have voiced bitter resentment over the disruption, highlighting the irony of a city brought to a standstill for guests, where "one side doesn't trust us, and the other treats us merely as a convenience," a report said on Monday.
“The anticipated second round of talks in the Pakistani capital failed to commence following the abrupt departure of the Iranian Foreign Minister from Islamabad. In response to the breakdown, US President Donald Trump reportedly directed his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to cancel their scheduled visit to Pakistan, signalling a total freeze in the current channel," a report in Athens-based Geopolitico detailed.
According to the report, efforts to mediate peace between the United States and Iran have encountered a major setback, with Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir arriving in Muscat on April 25 to reportedly seek Omani support in reviving the stalled peace process following a series of diplomatic failures in Islamabad.
The main hurdle in US-Iran talks, it said, appears to be a profound lack of trust from the Iranian side. Tehran has reportedly expressed clear distrust over Pakistan's role as a "neutral and reliable mediator".
Citing diplomatic sources, the report noted that Iran's grievances include "suspicions that Islamabad has been conveying inaccurate or distorted messages between the two adversaries". It added that allegations have emerged that “Pakistan has been sharing the details of private, high-level discussions held with Iranian officials directly with the US government.”
The report highlighted a growing conviction within Iranian circles that the Pakistan-hosted talks are a “strategic ploy”. Tehran, it said, suspects Islamabad of assisting the US in creating a “diplomatic drama” to buy time for American military forces to "remobilise and reposition” resources in the region while Iran remains “distracted” by the negotiations.
“As a result of this friction, Iran has signalled its preference for Oman — a nation with a long-standing history of successful mediation — as a more neutral and trustworthy venue. General Munir’s urgent trip to Muscat is seen as a desperate attempt to involve Omani officials in restarting the dialogue and perhaps restoring Pakistan’s fading relevance in the process,” the report noted.
--IANS
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