Pakistan, Iran explore fresh talks with US in China-initiated push: Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is exploring a path towards a resumption of stalled US-Iran talks over ending their nearly five-month-old war, three Pakistani sources said, following a push initiated by China. Exploratory discussions took place during a visit by Iran's interior minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad this week - his second within the last 10 days, the sources said. Momeni, who is considered close to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, met Pakistani govt members and army chief Asim Munir, according to Pakistani govt statements. All three sources cautioned that the obstacles to any talks with the US remain high.Pakistan has found itself in an increasingly complicated situation as a potential future mediator. Earlier this week, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Islamabad that signed a mutual defence treaty with Pakistan last year. Pakistan relies on Saudi financial support, and Islamabad has firmly condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Being seen as too receptive to Iranian arguments could risk frustrating Riyadh.But Islamabad is similarly dependent on Beijing, which has also been a key financial backer of I...