Paths open for US-Iran pact despite strains

Iran said it has consistently honored its commitments, and all paths remain open to a diplomatic solution as the United States claimed it is in the "final stages" of securing a deal with Tehran, but the situation could also "escalate quickly".

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended his country's strategy amid the ongoing war — triggered by the US and Israel attacks on Feb 28 — saying Tehran has "explored every avenue to avert war".

"All paths remain open from our side. Forcing Iran to surrender through coercion is nothing but an illusion. Mutual respect in diplomacy is far wiser, safer, and more sustainable than war," said Pezeshkian.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a televised interview on Wednesday that Iran and the US have been exchanging messages through Pakistan.

In the latest developments, Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir is said to be traveling to Tehran on Thursday, according to Iran's ISNA News Agency.

On Wednesday, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Iran, marking his second trip to the country in a week.

"Many times, intermediary parties prefer to be present alongside the texts being exchanged and help with the process," Baqaei was quoted as saying by Iran's Nour News Agency. He said Iran is currently focused on "ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon", while reiterating Tehran's longstanding demands.

Baqaei said that "our demands are clear", citing the release of Iran's blocked assets, issues related to US "maritime piracy", and harassment of Iran's shipping activities.

"We view the other side with intense suspicion and entirely based on our right to do so, because of their very bad record over the past year and a half," Baqaei was quoted as saying by Nour News Agency.

"At the same time, we are pursuing the discussions with full capability and complete goodwill," he added.

US President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the situation was "right on the borderline" and could escalate quickly.

He reiterated his determination not to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. "We're in the final stages of Iran (talks). We'll see what happens. Either (we) have a deal, or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won't happen," Trump told reporters.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said in a post on X that Riyadh appreciates Trump's willingness to find a diplomatic end to the war and also praised Pakistan's mediation efforts.

Faisal also said Saudi Arabia is looking forward to Iran seizing the opportunity to avoid the dangerous implications of escalation and urgently responding to efforts to advance negotiations toward a comprehensive agreement to achieve lasting peace in the region and the world.

Strategic miscalculation

Arhama Siddiqa, a research fellow at the Pakistan-based Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, told China Daily that the latest diplomatic activity suggests that Trump is seeking to contain the consequences of a war that increasingly appears to have been a strategic miscalculation.

"The decision to use force against Iran may have been intended to compel concessions, but it has instead increased regional instability, exposed Gulf energy and maritime vulnerabilities, and created diplomatic pressure on Washington to find an exit without appearing to retreat," said Siddiqa.

She said Pezeshkian's statement that Iran remains open to diplomacy is therefore "significant", as it gives the regional mediators a basis to press for a negotiated settlement.

Further, Siddiqa noted that Trump's claim shows that Washington is trying to preserve coercive leverage even as it explores deescalation.

"The reported role of Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt in refining a proposal to bridge US-Iran differences indicates a wider regional consensus that prolonged conflict would damage regional stability, energy security, and trade routes," she said.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com