Middle East — 2026-07-05

US-Iran Nuclear Negotiations Set to Resume in Pakistan on July 11 After Khamenei Funeral

BLUFWhether talks convene by July 18 is genuinely uncertain, hinging less on diplomatic willingness than on whether Iran's succession politics produce empowered negotiators in time.

A new round of US-Iran negotiations is expected to convene in Pakistan on July 11, according to a report from Al Hadath TV cited by TASS 1 and separately by Al Arabiya, as relayed by Pakistan Observer and Daily Pakistan 23, with Dawn independently citing diplomatic sources that Islamabad remains the frontrunner venue over an alternative in Switzerland, pending a final decision. The agenda is reported to cover US sanctions on Iran, Tehran's frozen financial assets, and the status of its nuclear program 123, along with regional security matters such as Strait of Hormuz stability and preservation of the Lebanon ceasefire, per Dawn. Iran's negotiating delegation has not yet been finalized and is expected to be set after the conclusion of funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei 23, a pause in talks that President Trump had earlier announced would last one week 1. Neither Pakistan, the United States, nor Iran has officially confirmed the July 11 meeting 3.

Analysis
Reports of a July 11 Islamabad session are genuinely uncertain, since no government has confirmed either the venue or the date and Iran's delegation remains unnamed pending completion of Khamenei's funeral. Moderate confidence rests on convergence across regional outlets on a specific date and a three-item agenda, offset by the absence of primary diplomatic sourcing, with TASS alone offering a wire-level account and Pakistan Observer, Global Times, and Daily Pakistan merely amplifying unnamed broadcast reports. Reporting has moved from a vague expectation of another round to a named venue and date; Islamabad's specificity may reflect Pakistani positioning to lock in its mediator role rather than a confirmed schedule. Continuation of the Islamabad MoU's sequenced framework hinges on Tehran's succession politics resolving cleanly enough to empower negotiators. Whether the funeral period concludes in time to seat Iran's team by July 11 will determine if sanctions and frozen-asset talks advance before Iran's mid-August tolling deadline or lose another window.

5 sources

Iran-US talks to resume in Pakistan on July 11 - TASS
Pakistan set to Host High-Stakes US-Iran Nuclear Talks on July 11: reports - Pakistan Observer
Pakistan to host US-Iran Talks on Nuclear Program, Sanctions next week - Daily Pakistan
Pakistan to host next round of U.S.-Iran talks on July 11 -- report - Global Times (Xinhua)
Islamabad frontrunner to host US-Iran talks - Dawn