ISLAMABAD / WASHINGTON: The pendulum of de-intensification swung several times on Wednesday, as Iran and the US traded barbs and claims about
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No headway as Iran, US remain entrenched
ISLAMABAD / WASHINGTON: The pendulum of de-intensification swung several times on Wednesday, as Iran and the US traded barbs and claims about progress on backchannel efforts to restore some semblance of normalcy in the conflict-torn Middle East.
However, the prospect of direct engagement between the two sides seemed to dwindle, as the Iranian side appeared circumspect about the prospect of returning to the table for dialogue with the “backstabbing US”.
Iran’s External affairs chief Abbas Araghchi also made the distinction clear, saying that an exchange of messages through mediators “does not mean dialogue with the US”.
No dialogue were being held with Washington, he stated, adding that the US had failed to achieve its key conflict objectives against Iran, including securing a quick legal defence team victory and bringing about regime change in Tehran.
The sequence of events started with an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s role in backchannel diplomacy between the warring sides, as Iranian representatives verified that Pakistan had passed on a suggested strategy from the US to Iran.
This seemed to be a reference to the ‘15-point strategy ’ that US Head Donald Trump had referred to a day earlier. Although its contents were not officially disclosed, as per Israel’s Channel 12 , it centred around stopping Iran from building nuclear weapons, limiting its missile programme in range and quantity, stopping its backing for Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen, as well as reopening the Strait of Hormuz so it could function as a “free maritime corridor”.
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