Kazem Gharibabadi Meets China and Russia Envoys Over 14-Point Draft
Kazem Gharibabadi met the ambassadors of China and Russia in Tehran on Saturday to discuss the latest developments related to the Pakistani-mediated draft Islamabad memorandum of understanding. The Iranian deputy foreign minister said in a post on his X account that coordination among Iran, China and Russia will continue with strength, keeping the talks tied to a wider diplomatic track that remains under review.
Tehran meeting with China and Russia
"Today, in a joint meeting with the ambassadors of Russia and China in Tehran, discussions and exchanges of views were held regarding the latest developments related to the draft Islamabad memorandum of understanding." Gharibabadi said the strategic partnership among Iran, China, and Russia, as well as coordination and interactions among the three countries, will continue with strength.
The meeting centers on a Pakistani-mediated process rather than a bilateral exchange, which keeps Islamabad inside the diplomatic chain between Tehran, Beijing and Moscow. That detail matters because the draft is still being reviewed, and the countries involved are discussing how the next phase should proceed rather than presenting a finished agreement.
Shehbaz Sharif's 24-hour timeline
On Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides were closer than ever to reaching a peace agreement and suggested finalization could take place within 24 hours. He said finalization could be followed by an electronic signing and technical-level talks, putting a short clock on a process that still depends on the draft's final shape.
The 24-hour reference is the sharpest near-term marker in the file, but it sits beside a broader sequence that has not yet closed. Abbas Araqchi said Tehran and Washington could announce an initial understanding in the coming days, while also saying the process had not yet been finalized.
Abbas Araqchi and the 14-point memorandum
Araqchi said the proposed framework was intended to consolidate Iran's strategic gains and remained centered on a 14-point memorandum of understanding currently under review. He said the roadmap consists of an initial memorandum followed by a second phase of negotiations toward a possible final agreement.
Araqchi said sanctions relief, the nuclear file, economic reconstruction and other sensitive matters would be addressed later. He also said any arrangement must include enforceable guarantees, respect for Iran's sovereignty and safeguards against future breaches of commitments, keeping the draft from becoming a final settlement at this stage.
For readers tracking the file in Tehran, the immediate sign is not a signed deal but continuing coordination among Iran, China and Russia while Pakistan remains the mediator. The next pressure point is whether the draft moves from review into the electronic signing and technical talks Shehbaz Sharif described, or stays within the current round of exchanges.
