Iran is not planning to join upcoming talks with the United States, Iranian state media reported, following President Donald Trump’s directive for US negotiators to travel to Pakistan on Monday—just days before a ceasefire in the Middle East is set to expire.
The US blockade of Iranian ports remains a major point of contention, made worse after an American destroyer fired upon and seized an Iranian ship on Sunday that allegedly attempted to evade interception.
In response, Tehran has vowed retaliation, with the Tasnim news agency reporting that Iran dispatched drones toward US military ships following the seizure of its vessel.
On Sunday, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB cited official sources stating, “There are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks. The Fars and Tasnim news agencies also quoted anonymous sources as saying, the overall atmosphere cannot be assessed as very positive, emphasizing that lifting the US blockade is a precondition for any negotiations.
Meanwhile, the state-run IRNA agency highlighted both the blockade and Washington’s unreasonable and unrealistic demands, noting that in these circumstances, there is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations.
The ceasefire, which halted the Middle East conflict triggered by surprise US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, is set to end within days. So far, there has only been a single 21-hour negotiating session in Islamabad on April 11, which ended without resolution, although preliminary discussions for future talks have continued.
We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it, Trump posted on Sunday, while also renewing threats against Iran’s infrastructure should an agreement fail to materialize.
US Fires on Iranian Vessel
Amid pressure to ease tensions, President Trump has sought alternatives since Tehran moved early in the conflict to block the Strait of Hormuz—a vital passage for a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas. The closure has heavily impacted the global economy and roiled energy markets.
After unsuccessful attempts to reopen the strait, Trump imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in an effort to cut off Tehran’s oil revenues. On Sunday, he announced that a large Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempted to breach the blockade: It did not go well for them, he said. According to Trump, a US destroyer warned the ship to stop and ultimately disabled it by firing into its engine room. Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel, he added.
Trump also noted that the seized ship, the Touska, was under US Treasury sanctions for previous illegal activities.
Iran’s ISNA news agency later cited a spokesperson for Iran’s central command, warning that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military. Following the seizure, Tasnim reported that Iran had launched drones toward US ships.
Iran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday in acknowledgment of an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon but closed it again the next day after the US maintained its blockade. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that any unauthorized transit through the strait will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called the blockade a violation of the ceasefire and illegal collective punishment of the Iranian people.
During the brief reopening, a few oil and gas tankers managed to cross the strait, but by Sunday morning, tracking data showed the waterway empty. The previous afternoon, a series of incidents involving Iranian fire and threats toward commercial vessels underscored the risks of any attempted passage.
Heightened Security Ahead of Pakistan Talks
Despite uncertainty over the talks in Pakistan, security was visibly increased in Islamabad on Sunday in anticipation of negotiations. Authorities announced road closures and traffic restrictions throughout the city and in neighboring Rawalpindi.
President Trump said his negotiators—whose names he did not disclose—would arrive in the Pakistani capital on Monday evening. A White House official later confirmed the delegation would be led by Vice President JD Vance, along with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
One major issue in the negotiations is Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium. Trump claimed on Friday that Iran agreed to hand over its roughly 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of enriched uranium: We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators, he said.
However, Iran’s foreign ministry asserted that the stockpile—believed to be buried under rubble from US airstrikes in last June’s 12-day war—would not be transferred, and surrendering it to the US “has never been raised in negotiations.
— AFP
