- US media reports crucial talks between Washington and Tehran likely to be held in Turkish metropolis Istanbul on Friday

ISLAMABAD 

Pakistan has been invited to participate in the talks between Iran and the US, likely to be held in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul later this week, an official of the South Asian nation has said.

“Pakistan has received the invitation for the upcoming talks between Iran and the United States,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, according to Pakistani daily Dawn.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to participate in the meeting.

Earlier, US media reports said senior officials from Washington and Tehran are preparing for rare face-to-face talks in Istanbul on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported on Monday that the planned meeting would bring together US special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with Türkiye hosting and officials from Qatar, Egypt and other regional states expected to attend.

There has been no official confirmation of the venue for the talks.

The talks are expected to explore parallel tracks, including Iran’s nuclear program and broader US demands related to missiles and regional militias, even as both sides remain far apart.