As United States representatives head to Islamabad for the second round of negotiation talks with Iran, mediated by Pakistan, fresh obstacles have arisen after Iran rejects talks with the US.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of showing it is “not serious” about the diplomatic process. He said Tehran would not alter its stated demands, rejecting deadlines or ultimatums when protecting national interests.
The development comes after the US blockade of the strategic chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz, and seizing an Iranian ship is jeopardising peace talks significantly, and Tehran’s “defensive capabilities,” including its missile program, remain non-negotiable, a senior Iranian source told Reuters.
While Reuters reports also cited a Pakistani security source, who said Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir told US President Donald Trump the blockade hinders talks, and that Trump replied he would consider the advice.
Although the US has been preparing for the second round of negotiation talks in Islamabad as a two-week ceasefire deadline looms, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the U.S. was “insisting on some unreasonable and unrealistic positions.”
The telephonic conversation between Munir and Trump comes after Pakistan’s Filed Marshal’s recent Tehran visit as the war in West Asia nears two months.
Munir met senior Iranian leaders during his three-day visit to Iran, including the president, foreign minister, and top military officials, in a push for de-escalation.
Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited Islamabad for talks with U.S representatives, the highest-level direct engagement in decades. while discussions ended without a breakthrough.
Tensions spiked over the weekend after the U.S seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel accused of evading its port blockade. Tehran’s military threatened retaliation, while Araghchi told his Pakistani counterpart that U.S actions against Iranian shipping showed bad faith ahead of proposed talks.
The U.S CENTCOM said it had fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship headed towards Iran’s Bandar Abbas port on Sunday after a six-hour standoff, resulting in disabling its engines.
CENTCOM also released a video showing Marines descending ropes from helicopters onto the vessel.
