Iran Talks Hang in Balance as Ceasefire Nears End

However, the official emphasized that no decision had been taken, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that the US’s “constant violations of the ceasefire” were a major obstacle to the continuation of the diplomatic process.

Araqchi told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in a telephone conversation that Iran has not yet decided how to proceed, although it has considered all aspects of the issue.

On Monday night, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqir Qalibaf, accused US President Donald Trump of increasing pressure on Tehran through a blockade and ceasefire violations and said Iran rejected threatened talks.

The two-week ceasefire in the conflict, which has killed thousands of people and shaken the global economy, especially energy markets, is scheduled to end this week.

It appeared to be in danger after the United States announced it had seized an Iranian cargo ship trying to bypass the blockade and Tehran vowed to retaliate.

At the Islamabad talks, Trump is eager to reach an agreement that will help prevent a new rise in oil prices and a collapse in stock markets. Iran hopes to strengthen its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping channel for global energy supplies, to reach a deal that prevents a resumption of war, provides financial relief from long-running sanctions and some breathing room for its nuclear program.

A separate source speaking to Reuters added to the uncertainty by denying reports that Vice President J.D. Vance was staying in the United States on Monday and traveling to Pakistan for talks.

The unnamed senior Iranian official said Tehran was “positively reviewing” its involvement; This differed from previous statements in which participation was denied and promises of retaliation for US aggression were made.

The official said mediator Pakistan has made positive efforts to end the US blockade and ensure Iran’s participation.

Trump declared a two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7, without specifying exactly when it would end.

A Pakistani source involved in the talks said the deadline would end at 8pm ET on Wednesday, which would be midnight GMT in Iran or 3:30am on Thursday.

Trump said on social media that he believed the nuclear deal his administration signed with Iran would be better than the international agreement reached in 2015 after years of negotiations under then-Democratic President Barack Obama.

Trump withdrew from this agreement, which was strongly opposed by congressional Republicans and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in 2018, during the first term of his presidency.

It was unclear what kind of agreement could be reached in just a few days of talks, but the Republican US president predicted a quick outcome.

“I’m not under any pressure, but everything will happen relatively quickly!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

BLOCKING IS A PROBLEM

A Pakistani security source said Pakistani negotiator Field Marshal Asim Munir told Trump that the blockade was hindering negotiations and Trump promised to consider ending it.

The United States had hoped to begin negotiations in Pakistan shortly before the ceasefire ended.

However, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said that “the unconstructive and contradictory signals coming from American officials carry a painful message, that they want Iran to surrender.”

“Iranians do not bow to force,” he added to X.

While the United States maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, Iran generally lifted and then reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s supply of oil and liquefied natural gas.

Oil prices rose around 5 percent as traders feared the ceasefire would be broken. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has come to a near standstill, with only three crossings in 12 hours, according to shipping data.

US NAVAL BOARD IRANIAN SHIP

The US military announced that it opened fire on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship heading towards Iran’s Bandar Abbas port on Sunday. US Central Command released a video showing sailors lowering ropes from helicopters onto the ship.

Maritime security sources said Monday that the ship was likely carrying dual-use items that could be used by Washington’s military.

The Iranian military said the ship came from China and accused the United States of “armed piracy,” according to state media. They said they were prepared to confront US forces for “blatant aggression” but were constrained by the presence of crew members’ families on board.

China, the main buyer of Iranian crude oil, expressed concern about “forced intervention” and Chinese President Xi Jinping called for ships to continue passing through the strait normally and for the dispute to be resolved through political and diplomatic channels, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Trump warned on Sunday that the United States would destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if it rejects his terms, continuing a recent pattern of such threats.

Iran has said it would hit power plants and desalination plants in its Gulf Arab neighbors if the United States attacked its civilian infrastructure.

PREPARATIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR CONVERSATIONS THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN

Pakistan was prepared to host the talks despite uncertainty over whether the talks would continue. About 20,000 security personnel have been deployed across Islamabad, a government official and a security official said.

Since the war started on February 28, thousands of people have been killed during the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the parallel Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Lebanon also currently has a ceasefire, and Washington will host a second round of ambassador-level talks between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday as part of efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire.