Ariba Shahid
Thomson Reuters

ISLAMABAD, April 24 (Reuters) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was expected in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Friday ​to discuss proposals for restarting peace talks with the ​United States, but was not due to meet ⁠U.S. negotiators, Pakistani government sources said.
Islamabad was the venue ​for talks between the U.S. and Iran on ending their war ​that collapsed earlier this

Iranian state media reported that Araqchi was beginning a trip that included visits to Islamabad, Muscat and ​Moscow. The report made no mention of any direct talks with ​the U.S.

Two Pakistani government sources aware of the discussions said Araqchi’s visit ‌would ⁠be a brief one to discuss Iran’s proposals for talks with the U.S., which mediator Pakistan would then convey to Washington.

There was no direct response from Washington ​to Araqchi’s trip, ​but U.S. ⁠Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking around the same time the news emerged, told a briefing ​that Iran had a chance to make a “good ​deal” ⁠with the United States.

“Iran knows that they still have an open window to choose wisely … at the negotiating table. ⁠All ​they have to do is abandon ​a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways,” he said.

Reporting by Reuters ​bureaus Writing by Alex Richardson Editing by Peter Graff and Sharon Singleton