Iran thanks Pakistan, dismisses reports of rejecting Islamabad peace talks

TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday rejected media reports claiming that Tehran refused to attend peace talks in Islamabad, saying Iran never turned down an invitation and appreciates Pakistan’s role as a mediator

In a statement posted on X, Araghchi said Iran’s position was being misrepresented by U.S. media.

“We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting end to the illegal war imposed on us,” he said.

He also wrote “Long Live Pakistan” in Urdu, praising the country for its peace efforts in the Middle East.

Araghchi further warned about potential radioactive fallout following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant.

“Remember the Western outrage over hostilities near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine? Israel and the U.S. have bombed our Bushehr plant four times now. Radioactive fallout would endanger lives in GCC capitals, not Tehran,” he said.

He added that attacks on Iran’s petrochemical facilities indicate broader strategic objectives.

Last week, Pakistan hosted Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt for talks on the Iran conflict, as Islamabad positions itself as a potential venue for U.S.-Iran negotiations on the month-old crisis.

Iran’s position is being misrepresented by U.S. media.

We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us.

پاکستان زنده باد pic.twitter.com/AUjBQxOFyA

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 4, 2026

The four countries’ foreign ministers held “in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate regional tensions” during the two-day talks. However, no major breakthrough was reported.

Meanwhile, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tahir Andrabi, Saturday, also categorically rejected certain false insinuations attributed to purported official sources related to the ongoing conflict in the region and Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace and dialogue, ‘as baseless and a figment of imagination’.

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Responding to media queries regarding reports on developments in the ongoing conflict in the region, the spokesperson, in a press statement, said that they had 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.

“Any attribution to official sources in this regard is incorrect. It is a matter of concern that the briefing held on Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been misrepresented, with references to issues that were neither discussed nor alluded to,” it was asserted.

At a time of heightened regional sensitivity, the spokesperson said, diplomacy required both discretion and responsibility, urging all media platforms to exercise due diligence, avoid speculation, and rely exclusively on officially issued statements and media readouts for accurate and timely information.