President Donald Trump has announced that United States negotiators will travel to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Monday for possible talks aimed at ending the US-Israel war on Iran. In a post on social media on Sunday, Trump didn’t detail which officials the US would send to a potential second round of in-person talks with Iranian negotiators in Islamabad. Last weekend’s talks, at which Vice President JD Vance led the US delegation, ended without a deal.
Trump accused Iran of violating a two-week ceasefire that is due to expire on Wednesday by opening fire on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz. The US president threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran if it doesn’t accept the terms of the deal being offered by the US. After Trump’s announcement, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that there is currently no decision by Iran to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan “as long as there is a naval blockade” on Iranian ports.
Later, the state news agency IRNA reported that Tehran rejected the talks. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the US naval blockade is a violation of the ceasefire as well as an “unlawful and criminal” act. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed again, less than 24 hours after it was reopened.
It said it would remain closed until the US lifts its naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports. The US military said it has forced 23 ships to turn around near the strait since its blockade began. Its Central Command said forces were continuing to enforce the blockade “against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas”.
The Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran’s nuclear programme remain key sticking points in the negotiations. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said that while there was “significant progress made” during talks last weekend, a framework of understanding has to be agreed before they continue. He also described US demands on Iran’s nuclear programme as “maximalist”.
The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Saturday night: “There are many gaps and some fundamental points remain,” adding, “We are still far from the final discussion.” Trump told reporters at the White House that the US was “taking a tough stand” and the US and Iran had “very good conversations going on”. He accused Iran of getting “a little cute” on the subject of the strait, adding that the US would not be “blackmailed”. The president told ABC News on Sunday that Vance will not lead the next round of talks after reports that he would, saying his absence was “only because of security”.
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