Islamabad emerges as front-runner to host next US-Iran talks

Islamabad is emerging as the leading venue for the next round of technical negotiations between the United States and Iran, with diplomatic sources indicating the Pakistani capital is the preferred location for talks scheduled on July 11.

The discussions are part of ongoing efforts to sustain diplomatic engagement and resolve long-running disputes between Washington and Tehran, Dawn reports.

“There are two possible venues for the technical talks — Islamabad and the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland,” one diplomatic source said. “Islamabad, however, is the more likely option.”

The negotiations are expected to focus on Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief, and billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen abroad. Regional security issues, including freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and preserving the recently agreed ceasefire in Lebanon, are also on the agenda.

The meeting is intended to advance the framework established under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed two weeks ago, which granted both sides 60 days to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear programme and related issues.

The talks were briefly delayed because of the state funeral ceremonies for Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian officials said the composition of Tehran's delegation would be announced after the ceremonies conclude.

The latest diplomatic push follows indirect technical discussions in Doha, which US President Donald Trump described as “very good.” Iranian officials said the two sides had reached an understanding on the partial release of frozen Iranian assets, although US officials reportedly disputed that claim.

Diplomatic sources said Qatar and Pakistan continue to facilitate indirect contacts between the parties, while another round of high-level talks is expected in Doha later this month.

Despite the diplomatic progress, rhetoric between the two sides remained tense. Speaking at an Independence Day event, Trump said, “We gave them a week off for a funeral because we are nice,” adding that Iran was “dying to settle.”

Iran rejected the remarks, with the Foreign Ministry saying Tehran would continue seeking justice against the United States and Israel. Meanwhile, IRGC Navy commander Rear Admiral Ali Ozmaei warned that “divine retribution against the terrorist America and the illegitimate Zionist regime [Israel] is not far off.”

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also cautioned against military activity by “extra-regional powers” in the Strait of Hormuz, declaring, “The Strait of Hormuz is not a theatre for the military display of extra-regional powers.”

Separately, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed Trump's claims that Iran would import US agricultural products under a future peace deal, writing on X: “Imagine having 40-something million of your own citizens on food stamps and calling another nation hungry.” He added that Washington must recognize that “realities have changed” following the recent conflict, expressing hope that sanctions could eventually be lifted.

By Vafa Guliyeva