'Figment Of Imagination': Pakistan Irked Over Reports Claiming Collapse Of Its Peace Bid In US-Iran War

Pakistan has reacted to the reports claiming a slowdown in Islamabad-led peace efforts between the United States and Iran, calling them "baseless" and a "figment of imagination."

Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Sunday dismissed the reports, saying, "We have noted several reports in the media, including on social media, citing so-called official government sources regarding the ongoing conflict in the region and Pakistan's efforts to promote peace and dialogue".

"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", he added.

What did Iran say?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said that Tehran has never refused to travel to Islamabad for mediation talks, signalling an openness to diplomatic engagement.

However, Araghchi stressed that Iran’s primary concern is securing terms that ensure a "conclusive and lasting end to the illegal war" imposed on it, underlining that any negotiations must lead to a definitive resolution of the conflict.

What did reports suggest about Pakistan's mediation bid?

The clarification from the Pakistan government came after source-based reports by the Wall Street Journal and Pakistani outlet Dawn on a closed-door briefing by one of Islamabad's senior foreign ministry officials.

ALSO READ: Hormuz Blockade: How Many Indian Ships Have Crossed The Strait So Far As Iran War Lingers

The reports suggested that while some progress has been made in mediation, particularly relaying messages between Washington and Tehran, the process has slowed down over a lack of clear response from the Iranian side.

According to the WSJ report, Tehran has refused to engage in any talks with the US-led delegation in Islamabad.

A report by Dawn cited an official who called it surprising that even after the obliteration of naval, air, civilian and military infrastructure, Iran has not responded positively.

ALSO READ: Indian Cargo MSV Quba Among 4 Vessels To Cross Strait Of Hormuz Through New Route; How Ships Are Avoiding Iran's Blockade?

"It is surprising that despite the obliteration of significant naval, air force, and other military and civilian infrastructure, Iran has not responded positively to calls for negotiations," the official was quoted as saying.

The official has also allegedly said that both Pakistan and China had encouraged Iran to come to the table but Tehran has not conveyed its readiness to take part in negotiations.