Published On 4/26/2026
The diplomatic movement is accelerating in an effort to resolve the crisis between Iran and the United States in light of the shuttle visits of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi between Muscat and Islamabad, amid indications of the crystallization of practical proposals to stop the war, in parallel with the growing roles of the Sultanate of Oman and Pakistan in mediation efforts.
In this context, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran, Amer Lafi, said that Araghchi is currently in Muscat, and will return later to Islamabad, as part of what he described as a “major diplomatic movement.”
Lafi added that the Iranian official media focuses on strengthening relations with the Gulf states, and limits the goal of the visit to strengthening trust, relations, and cooperation among the Gulf states. However, sources assured him that there are deeper goals, including pushing the Sultanate of Oman to engage directly in the process of negotiations.
He continued that Iran wants Muscat to play a role or participate in these negotiations, noting that Oman’s geographical location as a partner in supervising the Strait of Hormuz gives it additional weight in any future arrangements.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran revealed that Iran presented, through Islamabad, a practical and implementable framework for resolving the crisis, which was prepared within the Iranian National Security Council, and includes a comprehensive treatment of the points of contention with Washington, most notably the blockade of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz.
Lafi indicated that the offer includes a compromise formula, and said that there appears to be a joint Iranian-Pakistani offer for the United States to meet halfway, explaining that this may include a partial easing of sanctions in exchange for a partial opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The return of the traditional mediator
For his part, Al Jazeera correspondent in Muscat, Samir Al-Nimri, said that the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, received the Iranian Foreign Minister, where developments in the crisis and ways of solution were discussed, with Iranian and Omani viewpoints presented.
Al-Nimri said that the Sultanate of Oman is very concerned with what is happening, noting that it played the role of the main channel for negotiations between Washington and Tehran for about 16 years, whether in the nuclear file that led to the 2015 agreement or in the files of the exchange of detainees and frozen funds.
He added that Oman seeks sustainable solutions that achieve security in the region, stressing that its expected role in the next stage is “essential,” especially with regard to the Strait of Hormuz file, as it is a direct geographical partner of Iran in supervising this vital corridor.
He pointed out that Muscat should be present in any future arrangements regarding the Strait, in light of the direct impact of this vital corridor on the global economy, pointing out that the Sultanate of Oman is pushing for diplomatic solutions as “the best and only way out of this crisis.”
He also pointed out that Muscat may constitute a gateway to restoring Gulf-Iranian relations, if current efforts succeed in ending the escalation.
On April 21, US President Donald Trump announced the extension of the truce with Iran, at the request of Pakistani mediation, “until Tehran presents its proposal” regarding negotiations, without specifying a time limit.
Broker with full powers
On the other hand, the director of Al Jazeera’s office in Islamabad, Abdul Rahman Matar, revealed details that he considered pivotal in understanding the course of the negotiation, explaining that Araghchi’s expected return to Pakistan may be for technical reasons related to the delegation’s movement, in addition to the possibility of holding new consultative meetings.
But Matar stressed that the essence of the move lies in the fact that Pakistan is still studying and evaluating these Iranian proposals and ideas, explaining that it is working to introduce amendments to them before transferring them to the American side.
He added that Pakistani-Iranian consultation and coordination at this stage relate to what Iran will present to the United States, noting that these proposals have not yet been conveyed to Washington, and that the file “is still secret.”
In a striking indication of the escalation of Pakistan’s role, Matar quoted Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar that his country is no longer just a facilitator, but has become a full-fledged mediator, which reflects a shift in Islamabad’s position within this file.
Matar linked the continued evaluation of the proposals to the postponement of the visit of American officials, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, considering that the postponement may be a result of the incompleteness of the final version of the initiative.
The interventions of Al Jazeera correspondents from Tehran, Muscat, and Islamabad intersected at a central point, which is the Strait of Hormuz, which constitutes the main focus of the dispute and the most prominent pressure tool in the hands of Tehran, as Iran links any progress in the negotiations with the easing of the blockade imposed on its ports.
The Iranian News Agency had reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would return to Pakistan another time after the end of his visit to the Sultanate of Oman and before heading to Russia. Araqchi left Islamabad after a short visit during which he presented the Pakistani mediator with Tehran’s response regarding proposals to end the war.
The US President had previously announced the cancellation of the travel of envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, where they were expected to hold talks in conjunction with Araqchi’s presence in the Pakistani capital. However, he announced that Washington had received a “new card that was much better” than the previous ones, in reference to more flexible Iranian proposals.
