Pakistan Mediates U.S.-Iran Indirect Talks

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s foreign minister says his government is relaying messages between the United States and Iran in what he described as “indirect talks,” as diplomatic backchannels take shape alongside a widening regional war. Our six-source review draws on reporting and official statements published by NPR, Al Jazeera, BBC, The Express Tribune, The New Indian Express, and TRT World. Each of the bullet points immediately below have been confirmed by at least four of the six respected sources we curated on this story.

Core Facts

• Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar publicly said Pakistan is relaying messages between Washington and Tehran, describing the contact as “indirect talks.”
• Dar said the United States has shared a 15-point proposal that Iran is deliberating.
• Dar said Türkiye and Egypt are among the countries supporting the mediation effort.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is not in negotiations with the United States, while acknowledging message exchanges via intermediaries or “friendly countries.”

Additional Details Reported

Several outlets reported that the mediation effort is unfolding amid continued fighting and competing public claims about whether formal talks are underway. Pakistan’s confirmation centered on message-relaying rather than face-to-face negotiations, and Iranian officials have emphasized that exchanges through intermediaries do not constitute direct dialogue.

Separately, U.S. officials have spoken publicly about ongoing efforts to pursue a diplomatic off-ramp, while Iranian leaders have signaled they will only consider ending the conflict on their own terms. The public record, at this stage, reflects both the existence of intermediary message traffic and sharp disagreement over how close that traffic is to a negotiated settlement.

How we report: We select the day’s most important stories, confirm facts across multiple reputable sources, and avoid anonymous sourcing. Our goal is clear, balanced coverage you can trust—because transparency and verification matter for informed readers.