Pakistan working silently to find 'new formula' to break US-Iran deadlock: sources

Pakistan is quietly trying to facilitate an agreement between the US and Iran, aiming to find a new formula for an elusive deal concerning the Strait of Hormuz and the country’s nuclear program, two government sources familiar with the developments told Anadolu on Wednesday.

“Both countries are negotiating through Pakistan, presenting their formulae and counter formulae to reach a deal,” a source explained, noting that the current talks centered around the almost-closed Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear deal.

But while both sides have yet to divulge details of their formulas, Pakistan’s efforts are geared towards striking a “middle path” regarding the two contentious issues.

Tehran and Washington are currently locked into a stalemate after presenting a new Iranian peace plan through Pakistan following two recent visits to Islamabad by Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Aragchi.

According to the plan, the war could be brought to an end and the Strait of Hormuz reopened provided that the US lifted its sanctions against Iran.

“Hopefully, the two sides will reach common ground soon," the source added, saying that FM Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir were "personally engaged" in the ongoing backdoor diplomacy to break the stalemate.

The two have been actively participating in the mediation process, as CDF Munir has spoken to Trump several times in recent weeks.

"Iran's current stance is that since the nuclear issue is a complex one and [it] requires long and comprehensive talks, the Strait of Hormuz matter should be discussed in the first phase, which is easier to resolve. The US side, however, doesn't agree with the proposal and wants an agreement on both issues concurrently," the source said.

"But Trump is still discussing the proposal with his advisers," they added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said today that Islamabad's diplomatic efforts were continuing "consistently" to bring a negotiated settlement to the conflict, which has crippled global energy supplies and daily lives in the wider Middle East.