Islamabad, June 23 -- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that recent US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland could have begun earlier had they not been disrupted by Israel's military actions in Lebanon.

In an interview with Al Arabiya recorded before the latest round of talks, Dar stated that diplomatic efforts were progressing before renewed violence in Lebanon interrupted the process and delayed negotiations.

Highlighting Pakistan's role in facilitating dialogue, Dar said Islamabad had remained actively engaged since the beginning of efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran. He noted that Pakistan helped facilitate earlier discussions and served as a witness during direct talks between the United S...