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Pakistan expects to host a second round of U.S.-Iran peace talks next week and says a "primary" agreement between the two sides is imminent before U.S. President Donald Trump's scheduled visit to China from May 14-15, Pakistani government sources told Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei confirmed Tehran is still reviewing the U.S. proposal and will relay its response through Pakistan.
"Considering the latest developments, Pakistan is hopeful about the resumption of talks between the two sides next week to bring a negotiated settlement to the Middle East conflict," a Pakistani government source told AA, citing the pause on Project Freedom and the release of the seized Iranian vessel Touska and its crew as confidence-building signals.
"Almost 80 to 85% of the issues between the two sides have already been settled; however, the core nuclear issue remains a major bottleneck," the source added.
Baqaei told reporters that "the American proposal is still being reviewed by Iran," and that the country will convey its views to the Pakistani side after consensus is reached, Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA reported.
Pakistani sources told AA that Trump "would love to have an agreement with Iran before his China visit" and that Islamabad "cannot write off the possibility of a primary agreement between the two sides" in a potential second Islamabad round.
The sources said both sides have already agreed in principle on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and releasing billions of dollars in Tehran's frozen assets, but remain divided on the nuclear issue.
"Pakistan has intensified its efforts to bring the two sides to a middle ground on the nuclear issue to bring the two sides to negotiation," the sources said.
Pakistan hosted the first round of talks on April 11-12, which followed a two-week ceasefire brokered by Islamabad on April 8 and subsequently extended by Trump.
That round failed to produce a lasting agreement.
A source briefed on the negotiations told Tasnim News Agency that Iran has not yet given an official response to the latest U.S. text, which the source said "contains some unacceptable clauses."
The source said American media coverage of a near-final agreement was primarily aimed at "justifying Trump's retreat from his recent hostile action" rather than reflecting field realities, and that "it is unclear how many times America must bang its head against the wall before understanding the realities on the ground."
The source confirmed that Iran had resumed its review of the U.S. proposal following Trump's pause of Project Freedom and said Iran would inform its mediator "whenever it reaches a conclusion."
Fars News Agency, citing two informed sources, reported that no new written messages had been exchanged between Iran and the U.S. as of Wednesday, disputing Axios and Reuters reporting on the state of negotiations.
According to Pakistani sources, both sides have reached a working consensus on Hormuz, the blockade and frozen assets, but the nuclear issue remains unresolved.
The U.S. has insisted on including Iran's nuclear program in any permanent ceasefire framework.
Iran's 14-point revised proposal, submitted last month, suggested transforming the ceasefire into a permanent end to war while deferring nuclear discussions to a later stage, a position Washington rejected.
Axios reported Wednesday that Washington was nearing a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding covering an enrichment moratorium of at least 12 years, sanctions relief, release of frozen funds and a gradual Hormuz reopening, with Iranian responses expected within 48 hours.
Iranian sources have disputed the proximity of such a deal.
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