By Asif Shahzad and Mubasher Bukhari
ISLAMABAD, July 23 (Reuters) - Pakistan is exploring a path towards a resumption of stalled U.S.-Iran talks over ending their nearly five-month-old war, three Pakistani sources said, following a push initiated by China.
Exploratory discussions took place during a visit by Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad this week — his second within the last 10 days, the sources said.
Momeni, who is considered close to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, met with
Pakistani government leaders and army chief Asim Munir this week, according to Pakistani government statements.
All three sources cautioned that the obstacles to any talks with the U.S. remain high.
STRAIT OF HORMUZ CLOSURE HITTING CHINA
Pakistan has found itself in an increasingly complicated situation as a potential future mediator. Earlier this week, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Islamabad that signed a mutual defence treaty with Pakistan last year.
Pakistan relies on Saudi financial support, and Islamabad has firmly condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Being seen as too receptive to Iranian arguments could risk frustrating Riyadh.
But Islamabad is similarly dependent on Beijing, which has also been a key financial backer of Islamabad, and which has economic interests in finding a diplomatic solution to reopening key Middle Eastern trade routes.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, also discussed the new Middle East effort with Chinese officials when he visited China last week, all three Pakistani sources said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.
"The Chinese are unhappy because Iran's attacks on other Gulf states and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are hitting their interests," a Pakistani government official said. Disruptions in the Red Sea would hit another key trade route Beijing relies on.
Dar and the Pakistani military's public relations wing did not respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, China's foreign ministry said "China supports the mediation efforts made by Pakistan and other parties."
It added that China will continue to "play an active role in restoring peace and tranquillity in the Middle East Gulf region as soon as possible."
HALT IN ATTACKS NEEDED, SAYS OFFICIAL
Beijing is Iran's largest trading partner and primary buyer of its exported crude oil despite international sanctions on Tehran, benefiting from a steep discount on the energy source.
Over the years, China has also increased support for Iran's security through dual‐use components, chip equipment and satellite navigation systems, even though China has not overtly provided military aid to Iran since the war began.
Beijing has consistently backed Pakistan's mediation efforts and had in March dispatched its special envoy to lead a shuttle-diplomacy trip around the Middle East.
The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June to move towards ending the war after mediation by Pakistan and Qatar. It was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement.
But indirect talks yielded no progress. Both sides blamed each other for violations, and the conflict resumed.
The Houthis said on Thursday that they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of their naval blockade, threatening to create a second chokepoint for global oil supplies alongside the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalation has raised both the stakes and the hurdles for Pakistan's latest diplomatic efforts.
A halt in attacks on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations would now be a "pre-requisite for any talks to resume," said a Pakistani official.
It's a message that Pakistan has conveyed to Iran, the official added.
(Reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad, Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore and Liz Lee in Beijing; editing by Rick Noack and Andrew Heavens)
