Without direct talks, mediators seek to bridge US, Iran gaps

Published: 2026-04-27 17:29:29 ET FOXA

Published on 04/27/2026 at 05:29 pm EDT

STORY: :: Abbas Araqchi via Telegram

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi visited St. Petersburg on Monday where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The diplomat was NOT in Pakistan for peace talks with the U.S., after President Donald Trump scrapped what had been a planned visit by his envoys to Islamabad.

:: April 25, 2026 / Palm Beach, Florida

"Okay, you probably heard that we canceled the trip."

Without the face-to-face diplomacy, hopes of reviving peace efforts have receded.

But sources from Pakistan have said work has not halted in trying to bridge gaps between Washington and Tehran.

Araqchi said Pakistan was playing an important mediating role in the negotiations.

Iranian sources disclosed their latest proposal on Monday, which aims to set aside discussions of Iran's nuclear program until the war is ended and disputes over shipping resolved.

That is unlikely to satisfy Washington, which says nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset.

Iran has largely blocked all shipping apart from its own from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began.

This month, the United States began blockading Iranian ships.

Although a ceasefire has paused the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28, no agreement has been reached on terms to end the war.

Trump has repeatedly insisted that Iran was desperate for a deal.

But on Sunday he told Fox News "If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us."

Pakistani officials said negotiations were still taking place remotely, but there were no plans to convene a meeting in person until the sides were close enough to sign a memorandum.