'Never Refused To Go To Pakistan': Iran Leaves Room For Diplomacy As Ceasefire Talks Hit Dead End

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left the door open for talks with the United States on ending the ongoing war, saying his team had never refused to go to Pakistan after reports surfaced that a diplomatic initiative by Islamabad had hit a dead end.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said a US delegation led by Vice-President JD Vance was ready to travel to Pakistan for mediation talks, but Iran declined to participate in the proposed talks after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Tehran “back to the Stone Ages.”

READ MORE: Snubbed By Iran, Pakistan’s Mediation Bid Stumbles, US V-P’s Islamabad Trip Delayed Twice | Exclusive

While Iran’s leadership had adopted a defiant stance since the start of the war, Araghchi left the door

open for Pakistani mediation, although he gave no sign of Tehran’s willingness to bow to Trump’s demands.

“Iran’s position is being misrepresented by US media. We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” he said on X.

Iran’s position is being misrepresented by U.S. media.

We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us.

پاکستان زنده باد pic.twitter.com/AUjBQxOFyA

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 4, 2026

Pakistan’s Failed Diplomatic Bid

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Iran had informed mediators that it will not send officials to meet US representatives in Islamabad, saying the demands put forward by the United States were unacceptable, effectively halting the current round of negotiations.

“No direct US talks; only excessive, unreasonable demands via intermediaries. US “diplomacy” flips constantly; our stance is clear. Pakistan’s forums are their own; we didn’t participate. Regional calls to end war are welcome, but remember who started it,” said the Iranian Consulate General in Mumbai.

However, Pakistan has denied reports suggesting that its efforts to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran have stalled, calling such claims baseless and a figment of imagination. “We categorically reject these false insinuations attributed to purported official sources as baseless and a figment of imagination. Any attribution to official sources in this regard is incorrect,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi.

READ MORE: Mediation Without A Plan? Why Two-Day Islamabad Summit On US-Iran Talks Wrapped Up In A Single Day

Despite this roadblock, diplomatic efforts are continuing. Turkey and Egypt are trying to revive talks by proposing alternative locations such as Doha and Istanbul, along with new ideas to break the impasse.

The United States and Iran have been in talks about a possible deal that would trade a ceasefire in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by Axios. Trump said he would wind down operations in Iran within “two or three weeks”, but threatened to attack Iran’s bridges and power plants.