TEHRAN, April 26 (Xinhua) — Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday exchanged views with his Saudi, Qatari and French counterparts on the latest developments pertaining to the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington, according to statements released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Araghchi briefed Saudi Arabia’s Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, and France’s Jean-Noel Barrot on the status quo in the West Asia region, elaborating on Iran’s latest efforts to end the war and de-escalate tensions.
He underlined the important role European countries can play in the process of ending the “imposed war” against Iran.
The Qatari foreign minister highlighted the importance of the regional states’ “constructive” role in managing crises in the region, calling for the continuation of consultations and diplomatic coordination to support peace initiatives and strengthen regional stability.
He welcomed Iran’s diplomatic approach, expressing Qatar’s readiness to continue playing an active role in mediating and facilitating talks to end the war.
The French foreign minister emphasized his country’s position in support of the continuation of diplomatic approaches, hoping that the diplomatic efforts would restore peace in the West Asian region.
The phone calls came as Araghchi arrived in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Sunday for a second visit within around 24 hours, having returned from a brief stop in Oman.
Heading a diplomatic delegation on the first visit, he had arrived in Pakistan on Friday night and conveyed Iran’s considerations and views regarding the end of the war.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.
A ceasefire was achieved between the warring parties on April 8, followed by lengthy talks between the Iranian and U.S. delegations in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which failed to lead to an agreement.
The Iranian and U.S. delegations were reportedly expected to hold another round of peace talks in Pakistan this week, but Iran refrained from attending the negotiations, citing the U.S. continued naval blockade and “excessive” demands as main reasons. ■
