‘Fire of the imagination’: Pakistan denies reports of failure to launch US-Iran talks

Pakistan on Saturday refuted media reports that its efforts to facilitate a negotiated solution to the ongoing conflict in West Asia between the United States and Iran have hit a snag after an initial exchange of peace proposals.“We have taken note of multiple reports in the media, including social media, citing so-called official government sources on the ongoing conflict in the region and Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace and dialogue,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, according to PTI.

“We categorically reject these false suggestions from so-called official sources as baseless and pure imagination. Any attribution to official sources in this regard is incorrect,” he added.An unnamed official said some progress had been made in the exchange of information between Washington and Tehran, but the lack of a clear response from Iran had slowed momentum at this critical stage, Dawn newspaper reported.After the conflict began, Pakistan acted quickly, in part because of its obligation to defend its homeland Saudi Arabia In the event of an Iranian attack.While it has so far been unable to broker a ceasefire, it has managed to avoid direct involvement in the war.On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint strike against Iran, reportedly killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders. In response, Iran expanded its retaliatory actions across the Gulf, and the conflict severely disrupted energy supply chains, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.