Overview
- China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that its mediation has advanced talks between Afghanistan’s Taliban government and Pakistan, with recent meetings held in the Chinese city of Urumqi.
- Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday that Tehran has never refused to go to Islamabad for contact with the United States and thanked Pakistan for trying to broker dialogue.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office also said Saturday that reports of a collapse in its effort to facilitate US–Iran talks were baseless and urged media to rely on official statements.
- Earlier reports in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and Dawn said Iran would not meet US officials in Islamabad, underscoring competing narratives about venue choices and progress.
- These parallel efforts seek to prevent wider spillover from the US–Iran war and Pakistan–Afghanistan violence, which has harmed civilians and disrupted vital shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.