US-Iran talks still possible, says Pak envoy

Despite the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran expiring last week, the window for further negotiations between Washington and Tehran toward a final deal "is not closed", Pakistan's envoy to the United Nations said.

Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, said that Pakistan is "still very committed" to facilitating dialogue between the two sides.

"Our leadership is in touch with both sides. We are also working closely. We continue to work closely with the other friends," Ahmad told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

He said the expired Islamabad MoU still provides a framework for the US and Iran "to engage and to hold further negotiations" toward "a conclusive and comprehensive settlement, or a final deal".

However, Ahmad said it remains unclear on how the conflict will eventually end and what impact it could have on the region.

"I think the overall situation is still in flux," he said. He noted that countries in the region are assessing "how this will evolve in the future and what kind of steps they need to take" to ensure long-term peace and stability, amid discussions over possible changes to regional security arrangements and political alignments.

On Tuesday, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that Pakistan and Iran made "significant progress" in talks seeking to end the US-Israeli operations against Iran and find a path ‌to peace, according to a Reuters report.

Talks between the two sides focused on measures to prevent further escalation, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an expedited termination of the conflict, Reuters reported, citing a Pakistani military statement.

Given the prolonged uncertainty resulting from the US-Iran conflict, regional security arrangements are already beginning to shift. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all three.

"Our objective is to ensure that we move forward in a way that will guarantee peace and stability for the longer term in the Middle East," Ahmad said.

UN 'not sidelined'

The diplomatic efforts surrounding the US-Iran crisis have also raised questions about the UN's role, as some of the most consequential negotiations over current international conflicts are increasingly taking place outside the UN and the Security Council.

Ahmad said that such diplomacy does not necessarily diminish the UN's role.

"If you look back in history, there are several situations in which the UN was not the primary actor," he said, adding that negotiations conducted elsewhere have often eventually been brought back to the UN. "It doesn't mean that the UN's role is sidelined or undermined," he said.

He cited the Gaza conflict as a recent example. Negotiations took place outside the UN Security Council before being brought back to the body to give it "the stamp of authority and credibility".

The UN Security Council in November voted and adopted a resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump's peace plan and establishing the Board of Peace as a transitional administration for Gaza.

According to Ahmad, the same principle would apply to a US-Iran agreement. Once a comprehensive and conclusive final deal is agreed, it would be brought to the UN Security Council for approval and for the establishment of a mechanism to oversee its implementation, he said.

"The role of the Security Council as the principal organ for maintaining international peace and security remains important," he said. Long-running conflicts around the world also continue to test the UN's ability to prevent and resolve crises.

Ahmad said that resolving these long-running conflicts requires "a comprehensive approach from conflict prevention to resolution", including UN peacekeeping.

There is a strong view among the wider UN membership that peace and security cannot be considered separately from development, he said.

For developing countries, Ahmad added, the UN should focus on prioritizing the concerns and interests of those countries.

"As part of the reform and improving efficiencies, we want to ensure that the UN will continue to prioritize the concerns and the interests of developing countries," he said. "That means both peace and security, addressing the conflicts and advancing the development objectives."

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com