US and Iran may hold second round of end-of-war talks in Pakistan next week

[The Financial News] Local officials said on the 15th (local time) that the United States of America (US) and the Islamic Republic of Iran are expected to resume a second round of peace talks in Pakistan next week aimed at reaching an end-of-war agreement.
My Source News Opinion World (MS NOW) reported that two senior Pakistani officials involved in the decision on the talks said, "Working-level delegations from the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran are very likely to return to Pakistan next week for a second round of meetings." Both officials requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.
The development comes as tensions rise in the Persian Gulf, putting a fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran at risk. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply. Iranian forces have been issuing continued threats against passing vessels, while the US has responded with retaliatory blockade measures targeting Iranian ports.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, stressed last week that "a full reopening of the strait is a precondition for any ceasefire agreement." He had already voiced strong dissatisfaction over reduced shipping volumes along the key maritime route even before announcing the blockade measures.
The White House has expressed optimism about the prospects for a peace agreement. Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, said at a briefing, "Talks are currently under way, and we feel positive about the outlook for a deal."
However, Leavitt cautioned that "the next round of in-person negotiations has not yet been formalized." Even so, she added that "as with the last round, Islamabad is a very likely venue for the next talks." Pakistan is currently serving as the sole mediator between the two countries.
At the first round of talks held last weekend, US Vice President James David Vance, Steven Charles Witkoff, White House Special Envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, led the US delegation. The two sides engaged in 21 hours of marathon negotiations but failed to reach an agreement.
Meanwhile, the White House denied reports that the US had taken the initiative in requesting an extension of the ceasefire, which is set to expire on the 21st, calling them "not true." A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also explained, "The US has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire, and we are currently in a phase of ongoing communication aimed at reaching an agreement."

jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter