Pakistan army chief travels to Tehran in push for US-Iran deal

{"text":[[{"start":11.8,"text":"Pakistan’s powerful military chief arrived in Tehran on Friday as Pakistani and Qatari mediators stepped up efforts to broker a deal between the US and Iran and prevent a resumption of full-scale war. "}],[{"start":24.700000000000003,"text":"The push to build on a fragile ceasefire agreed in April comes amid fears that if no deal is reached, US President Donald Trump could resume strikes on Iran within days, reigniting a war that has spread across the Middle East."}],[{"start":38.650000000000006,"text":"Field Marshal Asim Munir was greeted on Friday evening by Iran’s interior minister Eskandar Momeni and his Pakistani counterpart Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Armed Forces said in a statement. His travel was “part of ongoing mediation efforts”, the military said. "}],[{"start":54.60000000000001,"text":"Naqvi, who carried Washington’s latest proposal to Tehran, met Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi for the second time on Friday, Iranian media reported."}],[{"start":64.7,"text":"Munir and Araghchi held discussions late into Friday night, focused on diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation, end the war and boost peace and stability in the region, according to Iran’s state news agency."}],[{"start":76.9,"text":"A Qatari delegation was also holding talks in Tehran, a person briefed on the matter said. The mediators are seeking to get the parties to agree to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lay the framework for an eventual deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":92.15,"text":"Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, told state television that the Qatari delegation held discussions with Araghchi on Friday, but that Pakistan continued to be the official mediator of the talks."}],[{"start":105.15,"text":"The negotiations were focused on the end of the war and the situation around the Strait of Hormuz — through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas usually passes — rather than Iran’s nuclear programme, Baghaei said. "}],[{"start":117.30000000000001,"text":"“We cannot necessarily say that we have reached a point where a deal is close at hand. The differences between Iran and the US are so deep and numerous,” he said."}],[{"start":128.05,"text":"Trump on Monday said that the US had held off on renewing attacks on Iran while adding that “serious negotiations” were taking place. He said Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had asked him to suspend the assault."}],[{"start":142.35000000000002,"text":"Washington’s Gulf allies, which have borne the brunt of Tehran’s attacks, fear that a resumption of US-Israeli strikes would cause Iran to retaliate by striking them and exacerbate the worst global energy crisis in decades."}],[{"start":156.55,"text":"The US and Iran have for weeks been haggling over proposals and counterproposals to reopen the strait, tackle Washington’s concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme and its demand for sanctions relief. Mediators have so far struggled to bridge wide gaps and deep distrust between the warring parties, both of whom believe they have the upper hand. "}],[{"start":177.05,"text":"But the talks appeared to have picked up some momentum. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Friday that there had been “some slight progress”, adding: “I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement and that’s good.” "}],[{"start":190.9,"text":"Iran’s de facto closure of the strait since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28 has pushed oil and gas prices up to years-long highs and threatened to tip the global economy into recession."}],[{"start":203.70000000000002,"text":"Iran’s demands for a deal include the lifting of US sanctions, an end to the war “on all fronts” — a reference to Israeli strikes in Lebanon — and for Tehran’s “management” of the strait, including charging a fee to ships transiting the chokepoint."}],[{"start":217.85000000000002,"text":"It has also demanded an end to a US blockade on its ports and said it was seeking a 30-day suspension of oil sanctions, during which its frozen assets held overseas could be released."}],[{"start":230.35000000000002,"text":"A previous Pakistani-backed proposal called for a 30-day period of confidence-building steps, after which negotiations on its nuclear programme would begin."}],[{"start":239.00000000000003,"text":"The US has been demanding that Iran agree to a 20-year moratorium on its nuclear enrichment programme, that it transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium out of the country and dismantle its three main nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan. It has also vehemently rejected any tolling system for the strait."}],[{"start":258.45000000000005,"text":"Iran insists it has a right to enrich uranium as a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. It has publicly said it would not allow its stockpile of enriched uranium to leave the country."}],[{"start":269.80000000000007,"text":"Trump said the US would eventually take control of Iran’s 440kg of highly enriched uranium. “We will get it. We don’t need it, we don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let them have it,” he said on Thursday."}],[{"start":284.3500000000001,"text":"On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would miss his son Donald Trump Jr’s wedding at the weekend to remain in Washington “during this important period of time”. A day earlier he said the wedding was “not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.”"}],[{"start":300.3500000000001,"text":"Additional reporting by Neri Zilber in Tel Aviv"}],[{"start":311.1500000000001,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779533703_7627.mp3"}