Iran Offers to Mediate Talks Between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Iran is said to be preparing to facilitate a new round of mediation between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban next week.

Iran is preparing to host a fresh round of mediation next week between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban interim government, in what is being viewed as the most ambitious diplomatic push yet to break the deadlock between the two neighbours, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media.

According to report, this important meeting will be held of 16th and 17th December in Tehran.

The meeting follows earlier rounds of talks in Doha, Istanbul and Jeddah, all of which failed to deliver a breakthrough.

What makes the upcoming Tehran session notable is the expected participation of China and Russia, a sign that major regional powers see the escalating Pak-Afghan strain as a threat to broader stability. Diplomatic sources, according to the report, say Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, will represent Islamabad.