Foreign Minister Dar highlights need for continued dialogue to resolve issues in call with Araghchi

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday emphasized the need for continued dialogue and engagement to resolve current issues during a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.

According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on X-Day, Dar emphasized that the need for continued dialogue and engagement was essential for the timely resolution of current issues and to promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.

“Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact and also agreed on a phone call between the President of Iran and Prime Minister Shehbaz later today,” the statement read.

The development came as US President Donald Trump announced a new round of talks in Islamabad soon, saying US representatives would travel to the capital for the second round of negotiations with Iran aimed at addressing the Middle East crisis.

“My representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan; they will be there tomorrow afternoon for negotiations,” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf earlier said talks with the United States to end the war had progressed but remained far from a deal, as Tehran said the crucial Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Washington lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

In a televised address to the nation Saturday night, Ghalibaf said the “third imposed war” began during negotiations through deception by the United States, adding that previous conflicts had also begun with the assassination of commanders. Tasnim News reported.

He said proposals conveyed through countries including Pakistan were reviewed by Iran’s security council, with Tehran resisting pressure and warning against escalation. He added that after failing militarily, the United States resorted to indirect messages, while Iran remained resolute after the ceasefire.

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Tehran’s reversal of the Strait of Hormuz closure raised the risk that oil and gas shipments through the strait could remain disrupted just as Trump weighs whether to extend the ceasefire.

When American and Iranian negotiators met last weekend in Islamabad, the United States proposed a 20-year moratorium on all Iranian nuclear activity, while Iran suggested a three- to five-year moratorium, according to people familiar with the proposals.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said no date had been set for the next round of negotiations, adding that a framework of understanding must first be agreed upon.

Trump had said Friday that there could be talks this weekend and that the two sides were “very close to reaching an agreement.”

There were no signs Saturday of preparations for new talks in the Pakistani capital, where the highest-level negotiations between the United States and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended without an agreement last weekend.