ISLALAMAD/TEHRAN, July 5: Pakistan’s capital Islamabad is emerging as the leading venue for the next round of US-Iran technical negotiations, expected on July 11, according to diplomatic sources quoted by Dawn.
Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort remains the alternate option, though Islamabad is considered the frontrunner. The talks follow the June 18 Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing peace efforts in West Asia and technical discussions held in Switzerland on June 21 with Pakistan and Qatar serving as mediators.
The negotiations are intended to maintain diplomatic momentum and work toward resolving long-standing disputes between Washington and Tehran.
Officials said discussions will focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets, maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, and preserving the recently agreed ceasefire in Lebanon.
Talks delayed by Khamenei funeral
The technical negotiations were postponed because of the state funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran.
Iranian officials said the composition of Tehran’s delegation will be announced after the ceremonies conclude.
Funeral events began Sunday in Tehran and Qom and will continue through the week, ending with Khamenei’s burial in Mashhad.
Diplomatic sources expect high-level direct talks to resume in Doha during the third week of July after technical teams complete work on a possible agreement under the 60-day framework established by the Islamabad MoU.
Funeral marked by political messaging
The funeral drew hundreds of thousands of mourners and featured the public appearance of several senior Iranian leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Revolutionary Guard commander Ahmad Vahidi.
Sons of the late supreme leader also appeared publicly, while Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei remained out of public view amid reported security concerns.
The ceremony was marked by anti-US and anti-Israel slogans, with speakers and mourners calling for retaliation against US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump, speaking in Washington the same day, defended recent US military actions against Iran and claimed they had severely weakened the country’s military capabilities.
Regional tensions remain high
Even as diplomacy continues, security concerns persist across the region. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a cargo ship came under attack Sunday southwest of Yemen’s Hodeida port by unidentified armed assailants.
No group claimed responsibility, though the area is controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have previously threatened to resume attacks on commercial shipping.
The incident follows recent pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden and underscores continuing concerns over freedom of navigation through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz—issues expected to feature prominently in the upcoming US-Iran negotiations. (AP)
