ISLAMABAD — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to travel to Pakistan by this weekend for talks with Pakistani officials on advancing a ceasefire in the Iran–U.S. war. Araghchi, who could arrive as soon as Friday, is expected to be accompanied by a small government delegation, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The visit comes as Islamabad sought to reinject momentum into negotiations to end the war. Talks had been set to resume recently but did not materialize. Pakistan has been working to bring U.S. and Iranian officials back to the negotiating table.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan's request. In a call on Friday, Araghchi, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir discussed ceasefire details and regional developments, according to a statement from Araghchi. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said both sides exchanged views on regional developments, the ceasefire, and ongoing diplomatic efforts in the context of U.S.-Iran engagement, and that Dar stressed the importance of sustained dialogue and engagement to advance regional peace and stability at the earliest.

The war began on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. New fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out two days later. Since then, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to authorities, and more than 2,290 people have been killed in Lebanon. Twenty-three people have died in Israel, 15 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon have been killed, more than a dozen people have died in Gulf Arab states, and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have not been lowered by the ceasefire extension. Iran attacked three ships in recent days, and the U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports. The U.S. military was ordered to shoot and kill small boats that could be placing mines.

The USS George H.W. Bush arrived in the Indian Ocean recently, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea and the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea. Three American aircraft carriers are operating in the region simultaneously for the first time since 2003. The force includes 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines, according to U.S. Central Command.