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diplomacyMay 18, 2026

Iran says talks with US continue through Pakistani mediation

Summary

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that talks with the United States are still ongoing through Pakistani mediation. “They raised speculation about enrichment and uranium materials, and we announced that it has no basis,” Baqaei said in statements carried by the Mehr News Agency. “The Americans presented proposals, and we also presented our views,” he added. Baqaei also responded to a proposed US-Bahraini resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the UN Security Council “cannot accuse Iran of undermining the region’s security.” “China and Russia know that the main source of insecurity at sea and against free trade is the United States,” he said. “If the international community wants to take responsible action, it should condemn the actions of the United States,” Baqaei added. Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.

Perspectives

Iranian Official

Iranian diplomacy, conducted through Pakistani mediation, continues to defend the nation's sovereign nuclear rights while rejecting unfounded US speculations and proposals as baseless aggression. In response to the February US-Israeli strikes violating Iran's territorial integrity, Tehran exercised legitimate resistance by targeting the aggressors and their Gulf allies, affirming that America remains the root cause of maritime insecurity and threats to free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the April ceasefire, Iran upholds its defensive posture against ongoing foreign interference.

Israeli

From an Israeli security perspective, Iranian claims of ongoing US talks via Pakistani mediation serve as a smokescreen for Tehran's nuclear enrichment drive and proxy network aggression, which pose an existential threat to the Jewish state. The February US-Israel defensive strikes were essential responses to Iran's missile barrages targeting Israel and its Gulf allies, alongside the illegal closure of the Strait of Hormuz that endangered global trade routes. Despite the April ceasefire, Iran's persistent destabilization efforts underscore the vital need for sustained vigilance against its regional proxy infrastructure.

Neutral

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated on Monday that talks with the United States continue through Pakistani mediation, with both sides having exchanged proposals, and denied reports concerning uranium enrichment and materials. He further asserted that the UN Security Council cannot accuse Iran of undermining regional security in relation to a proposed US-Bahraini resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, and claimed that the United States is the main source of maritime insecurity according to China and Russia. These remarks follow an indefinite extension of a ceasefire that took effect on April 8 after earlier strikes and Iranian retaliation.

Western

US and Israeli precision strikes in February successfully neutralized key Iranian threat capabilities, prompting Tehran’s retaliatory attacks and temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz that endangered global maritime trade. Iranian statements via Pakistani mediation continue to reject proposals on enrichment limits while deflecting a US-Bahraini UN resolution highlighting Tehran’s destabilizing actions. The April 8 ceasefire, extended indefinitely by President Trump, maintains strategic pressure on Iran without conceding to its regional aggression.

Pro-Peace

Amid the heavy civilian toll from February’s US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks that struck communities in Israel and the UAE, Iranian officials continue mediated talks with Washington via Pakistan, rejecting accusations while stressing the human costs of any renewed escalation. The indefinite extension of the April 8 ceasefire offers a vital opening to prioritize diplomacy over further military action that endangers lives and disrupts essential trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz. International focus should shift to condemning actions that prolong suffering and to supporting negotiated solutions that protect civilians and avert humanitarian catastrophe.

Global South

Iran asserts its sovereignty by rejecting US-Bahraini attempts to weaponize the UN Security Council against its control of the Strait of Hormuz, while noting that Washington and its allies remain the chief source of maritime insecurity and regional destabilization. Indirect talks with the US continue through Pakistani mediation, exposing the institutional failure of Western-dominated bodies to address neo-colonial interventions that provoked Iranian retaliation after February strikes. A fragile truce extended indefinitely by Washington has yet to yield lasting respect for Tehran’s independent stance.

Actors involved

USIran

Sources

  • currentsapi(Mixed)By Anadolu

    Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that talks with the United States are still ongoing through Pakistani mediation. “They raised speculation about enrichment and uranium materials, and we announced that it has no basis,” Baqaei said in statements car…

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