Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on May 21 for talks with his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni, according to Iranian state media. The visit, his second to Iran in less than a week, signals fresh diplomatic moves to resolve the standoff between the United States and Iran.
Peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran resumed after a temporary ceasefire reached last month with Pakistan's mediation. However, the two sides remain far apart on several critical issues. Iran's ISNA news agency said proposed texts had narrowed differences to some extent but stressed the need to end 'the temptation of war from Washington.'
US President Donald Trump told reporters on May 21 that peace talks with Iran were 'at the edge' between negotiation and renewed strikes. 'If we don't get the right answer, things will happen very fast. We are ready,' Trump said.
Key disagreements
A major sticking point is Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium. Washington demands Tehran give up the material, but Tehran refuses and may consider transferring it to a third party not allied with the US. The US also wants a 20-year ban on Iranian enrichment, while the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal permitted enrichment at 3.87 percent.
The Strait of Hormuz is another flashpoint. Since early March, Iran has restricted passage through the narrow waterway, which carries 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply. Iran allows only ships from selected nations, which must negotiate with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Tehran has also floated the idea of charging transit fees, but Washington and other countries have repeatedly rejected that.
Growing role of Pakistan and China
Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, is expected to travel to Iran on May 22, according to ISNA. Analysts say this suggests talks are moving beyond the exchange of draft proposals.
Later this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and General Munir are due to visit China to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to sign several memorandums of understanding. Meanwhile, China recently hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for a two-day visit starting May 21, just days after Xi hosted Trump in Beijing.
