Pakistan hopeful of early US-Iran agreement, says Foreign Office

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it was optimistic that an agreement between the United States and Iran could be reached soon, with the Foreign Office saying Islamabad would welcome a settlement wherever it is finalised.

Speaking during the weekly Foreign Office briefing, spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan remained hopeful about progress between Washington and Tehran. He said Islamabad would welcome an understanding between the two countries regardless of where it is concluded. “If an agreement is reached in Pakistan, it would be an honour for us,” he said.

Andrabi made the remarks in response to a question at the briefing. He also said he could not say whether the draft agreement would be one page or longer.

The spokesperson’s comments came after signs emerged on Wednesday that the United States and Iran were moving closer to a peace arrangement. There were reports that Tehran was examining a fresh proposal from Washington for peace after the suspension of ‘Project Freedom’, which had been launched by the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan welcomes pause in Project Freedom

During the briefing, Andrabi recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had welcomed the “timely announcement” regarding the pause in ‘Project Freedom’.

The Foreign Office briefing reflected Pakistan’s stated support for efforts aimed at reducing tensions between the US and Iran. Andrabi’s remarks indicated that Islamabad sees a possible agreement as a positive development and would support its conclusion whether it takes place in Pakistan or elsewhere.

The US and Iran appeared to inch toward a peace deal on Wednesday. In that context, Pakistan’s Foreign Office expressed hope that the process would lead to an agreement in the near term.

Andrabi did not provide details on the form or length of any possible draft and said he was not in a position to say whether it would consist of one page or be longer. His comments were limited to Pakistan’s expectation that an agreement could be reached soon and its willingness to welcome such an outcome.

Pakistan has in recent days publicly supported diplomatic efforts related to the US-Iran situation, and the Foreign Office on Thursday reiterated that position through its spokesperson’s remarks at the weekly briefing.

The latest statement from Islamabad came amid continued attention on the evolving contacts between Washington and Tehran and reports that Iran was reviewing a new US proposal following the pause in the American initiative linked to the Strait of Hormuz.