Iranian MP Mahmoud Nabavian, who was part of the delegation that held talks with US officials in Islamabad, has criticised the decision to hold negotiations in Pakistan, calling it a “tactical error”.
Speaking to SNNTV, Nabavian said allowing nuclear issues to be discussed in a Pakistan-hosted forum was a mistake and argued that such matters should be kept separate from regional mediation efforts.
His remarks point to emerging differences within sections of Iran’s political establishment over how the talks were conducted. Concerns are also being raised within the Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, of which the MP is a member, about the approach taken during the Islamabad round.
Nabavian, a hardline cleric and member of
the Paydari Front, said he was dissatisfied with the government’s decision to accept Pakistan as a mediator. He also suggested that the format of the talks allowed the United States to push demands that went beyond Iran’s stated red lines.
به مذاکره گذاشتن موضوع هستهای در پاکستان، #خطای_راهبردی بود. pic.twitter.com/g2pgA2UXeU
— سیدمحمود نبویان (@nabaviantwt) April 22, 2026
According to him, negotiating in Islamabad created space for the US to seek major concessions, including curbs on enriched uranium production, which some lawmakers view as unacceptable.
There is also growing concern among Iranian lawmakers that the host country was unable to effectively manage the scope and direction of the negotiations, prompting calls for future talks to be held in more neutral settings.
The criticism reflects a broader unease among some factions in Tehran, who believe the outcome of the Islamabad round has weakened Iran’s negotiating position.
Officials and lawmakers are increasingly wary that combining nuclear discussions with regional diplomacy may have given the US additional leverage over sensitive issues.
