Efforts by Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt to mediate between Iran and the United States have yet to produce tangible results, according to U.S. media reports on Sunday, as backchannel diplomacy continues amid rising regional tensions.
Foreign ministers from the three countries held separate telephone conversations over the weekend with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, but failed to achieve a breakthrough, reports said, citing The Wall Street Journal and Axios.
According to Axios, negotiations are being conducted through intermediaries from Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt, as well as through direct message exchanges between Iranian officials and advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Araghchi has maintained that the current contacts do not amount to formal negotiations, describing them instead as limited exchanges of messages conducted either directly or through regional mediators.
Iranian officials have reportedly refused to ease their demands and rejected a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. Tehran has insisted that any resolution must involve a complete end to the conflict across the region, rather than a short-term truce.
Diplomatic sources said mediators are working to develop a package of confidence-building measures aimed at extending a U.S. deadline and paving the way for direct talks. Trump has reportedly set a Tuesday evening deadline, warning of severe consequences if Iran does not reopen the vital waterway.
Tensions have escalated sharply since late February, with the United States and Israel carrying out strikes inside Iran. Iranian authorities say more than 1,340 people have been killed, including senior leadership figures such as Ali Khamenei.
Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes across the region and by restricting movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route. The disruption has affected nearly 20 million barrels of oil per day, sending shockwaves through international energy markets and raising concerns of a broader conflict.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, officials say significant gaps remain between the two sides, with no immediate resolution in sight.
