Pakistan, Iran, Qatar ‘finalizing’ interim agreement with US to end Middle East war

Pakistani, Iranian and Qatari delegations are engaged in intense discussions in Tehran to “finalize” a “temporary” agreement with the US to end the Middle East war, and are expecting a “major breakthrough” by the end of this week, multiple Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Saturday.

According to the people familiar with the matter, Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshall Asim Munir, who is currently visiting Tehran, has made telephonic contacts with US mediators including Vice President JD Vance “at least twice” over the past 24 hours.

Munir, who arrived in Tehran on Friday evening, for the second time in recent weeks, held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Tehran’s chief negotiator Bagher Qalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss a draft of the potential agreement.

“Pakistani and Qatari delegations are holding consultations with the US and Iranian negotiators to reach consensus (on the interim agreement) between the two warring sides,” a source said.

The two sides have not achieved a “final draft” yet but a “major breakthrough” is expected by the end of this week, the sources maintained.

Several regional countries are also in touch with Pakistani and Qatari officials currently present in Tehran, and are part of ongoing negotiations to reach a consensus document, the sources added.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei Saturday confirmed that a Qatari delegation is holding talks with Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Araghchi, while Pakistan continues to serve as the primary mediator in the negotiations.

The sources added that the current negotiations are revolving around Iran’s nuclear program and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as Washington wants some “concrete and practical” assurances to be part of the interim deal. Tehran, however, insists the two issues be discussed in the second phase of talks after the agreement.

The temporary agreement proposals include an immediate end of war on “all fronts” that includes Lebanon, reopening of the strait, an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, and holding nuclear talks within the next 30 days, the insiders said.

However, they added, the issues of the release of Iran’s frozen assets, lifting of international sanctions and compensation for war damages may be discussed in direct talks between Washington and Tehran.

“If the two sides sign the agreement, a second round of direct talks between the two sides is highly expected to resume after Eid-ul-Adha in Islamabad,” Anadolu previously reported citing a Pakistani source. The three-day Muslim festival of sacrifice will be observed next week, beginning Wednesday.

Munir, in a day or two, is expected to join Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who is currently visiting China, to discuss the outcome of his latest contacts with the Chinese leadership, the sources added.

The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, killing the country’s supreme leader.

Tehran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, alongside the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The fighting stopped on April 8 when Pakistan secured a ceasefire, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.

Since then, the two sides have continued exchanging proposals and counter-proposals in an effort to resume direct talks and end the conflict.

Talks appeared to have picked up some momentum in recent days, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying on Friday that there had been “some progress.”