Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced on Tuesday that Tehran has yet to formally confirm whether it will take part in a second round of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, with the two-week ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday. Pakistan, which has emerged as the sole mediator between Washington and Tehran following the outbreak of hostilities on 28 February, said it remains in close contact with Iranian officials and is continuing efforts to bring both parties back to the negotiating table. The stakes are high: US President Donald Trump has warned he does not wish to extend the ceasefire and that military strikes would resume if no deal is reached, while Iranian officials have cited what they call American ceasefire violations — including the seizure of an Iranian cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman — as reason to question Washington's commitment to diplomacy.