Beijing [China], May 25 (ANI): As peace hangs by the precipice in West Asia and the Gulf region, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed that progress has been made in the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States, according to a report by Dawn.

The Pakistani media outlet quoted Sharif, who said, 'Things moving in the right direction' in the context of the US-Iran talks.

Sharif, who is currently visiting China, made the remarks while speaking at the Great Hall of the People.

'We hope that peace will be restored, and lots of ground has already been covered; things are moving in the right direction,' PM Shehbaz said. As per Dawn, he thanked the Chinese leadership for their support to Pakistan's mediation efforts.

Sharif is on a four-day official visit to China from May 23 to 26, aimed at deepening economic cooperation, solidifying strategic ties, and advancing projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to the Pakistani Prime Minister's Office.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Email Baqaei on Monday said that the negotiations underway are presently focused on ending the war and that details about the nuclear issue have not been discussed, as reported by ISNA.

Earlier, on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that work is in progress to arrive at a peace deal between Tehran and Washington, and he assured that President Donald Trump will not make a bad deal.

When asked about the latest developments on Iran, Rubio told the media, 'We're still a work in progress... I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open, and enter into a very real, significant time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters. And hopefully we can pull it off.'

The development comes after US President Donald Trump on Sunday touted that any future negotiations with Tehran would differ sharply from those negotiated during Former US President Barack Obama's presidency with no financial leeway for Tehran.

Also on Sunday, Trump said that Washington will not 'rush into a deal' with Iran to achieve a complete solution to the crisis in West Asia, asserting that the US 'blockade' on the ports of the Islamic Republic will remain in 'full force and effect' until a formal agreement is reached, certified, and signed between the two sides. (ANI)