Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey are attempting to get Iran to the negotiating table: Report

According to U.S. media on Sunday, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey are trying to mediate talks between Iran and the United States, but their efforts over the weekend have not yet produced noticeable outcomes.

Over the weekend, the foreign ministers of the three nations spoke separately with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, but little progress was made, according to the Wall Street Journal and Axios.

According to two sources quoted by Axios, the negotiations are conducted through intermediaries from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey as well as through text messages exchanged between Araghchi and Trump’s advisers.

Araghchi previously stated that interactions with the United States are restricted to message exchanges, either directly or through regional middlemen, and do not amount to negotiations.

According to the Journal, Iranian authorities have rejected a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a temporary ceasefire and have refused to moderate their demands.

Iran wants a total end to the conflict throughout the region, not a truce, the Iranian foreign minister stated on Tuesday.

In an effort to extend Trump’s ultimatum and get the parties closer to a direct meeting, the mediators are working to reach a consensus on a set of steps aimed at fostering confidence. Trump has set a deadline of Tuesday night US time, threatening Iran with losing all of its important facilities and power plants if the strait remained blocked.

Since February 28, the United States and Israel have attacked Iran, killing about 1,340 people, including Ali Khamenei, the country’s then-Supreme Leader. Roughly 20 million barrels of daily oil trade have been disrupted and international markets have been shaken by Iran’s retaliatory strikes throughout the area and restrictions on travel via the Strait of Hormuz.