He added that it was a matter of concern that the briefing held on Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been “misrepresented”.

“At a time of heightened regional sensitivity, diplomacy requires both discretion and responsibility. We urge all media platforms to exercise due diligence, avoid speculation and rely exclusively on officially issued statements and media briefings for accurate and timely information,” Andrabi said.

According to a report in Dawn, an unnamed official had said that some progress had been made, with messages relayed between Washington and Tehran, but the absence of a clear response from Iran had slowed momentum.

“It is surprising that despite the destruction of significant naval, air force and other military and civilian infrastructure, Iran has not responded positively to calls for negotiations,” the official was quoted as saying.