FM Dar welcomes ‘significant progress’ in US-Iran talks

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday welcomed what he described as “substantial progress” achieved during high-level talks in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, and said Pakistan would remain committed to efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability.

The first round of quadrilateral talks involving Iran and the United States, with mediation by Qatar and Pakistan, concluded in Switzerland, marking the first formal follow-up commitment since the signing of the deal earlier this week.

In a post on X, Dar said he warmly welcomes “the significant progress achieved at the high-level technical talks held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland,” describing the development as an important milestone in the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

He congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Defense Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for their “visionary leadership and tireless efforts to achieve this milestone”.

“I would also like to express my deep appreciation for the constructive spirit shown by the United States as well as the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the implementation of the Islamabad MoU,” he said, adding that he praised their “continued commitment to dialogue and diplomacy”. The foreign minister reserved special thanks to Qatar for “its important role in the mediation process together with Pakistan.”

Dar said Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement would continue in the coming days, noting that “a team from our Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to remain engaged with the parties for technical-level talks for the rest of the week in Bürgenstock, Switzerland”.

Read: ‘Encouraging progress’ as US, Iran agree on roadmap for final peace deal within 60 days

Reaffirming Islamabad’s broader diplomatic goals, he said: “Pakistan has been and will continue to play its role to achieve the goal of lasting peace and stability in the region and beyond.”

According to a joint statement by Pakistan and Qatar, the parties had agreed on a roadmap to reach a final agreement within 60 days. A communication channel would be established during the negotiations to prevent incidents and miscommunications, including measures aimed at ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

It also announced the creation of a Pakistan- and Qatar-facilitated “de-conflict cell” involving Lebanon to oversee compliance with commitments related to the cessation of military operations in the country.

In a statement earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz also hailed the “significant progress” achieved in US-Iran talks, saying a high-level meeting had agreed on a roadmap towards a final deal within the next 60 days.

On June 18, Prime Minister Shehbaz signed the ‘Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding’ as a mediator, formalizing the major diplomatic breakthrough between the US and Iran. Israel, which has been left out of the peace talks, has distanced itself from the US-Iran deal and continued to fight the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, also raising questions about whether the deal would last.

The US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28, assassinating former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and military leaders on the first day.

It quickly developed into a regional conflict that has killed more than 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon; drove up energy prices; renewed inflationary pressures and sparked concerns about a major food supply crisis in developing countries.