Trump says US negotiators will have another round of talks with Iran
| WASHINGTON
President Donald Trump said U.S. negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran, raising hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday even as Washington and Tehran remain in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran did not immediately confirm the talks but its chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, said in an interview aired on state television late Saturday that 鈥渢here will be no retreat in the field of diplomacy,鈥� while acknowledging a wide gap remained between the sides.
The White House said Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of historic face-to-face talks last weekend, would lead the delegation to Pakistan with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Pakistani authorities began tightening security in Islamabad. A regional official involved in the efforts said mediators were finalizing preparations and U.S. advance security teams were already on the ground. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren鈥檛 authorized to discuss preparations with the media.
Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the United States. It was unclear whether either side had shifted stances on issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran鈥檚 nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies, and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr. Trump鈥檚 announcement repeated his threats against Iranian infrastructure that have drawn widespread criticism and warnings of war crimes. If Iran doesn鈥檛 agree to the U.S.-proposed deal, 鈥渢he United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,鈥� he wrote.
Iran says transits of the Strait of Hormuz are 鈥榠mpossible鈥�
Ships remained unable to transit the critical waterway amid threats from Iran and a U.S. blockade on ships heading to and from Iranian ports. Roughly one-fifth of the world鈥檚 oil trade normally passes through the strait, and the global energy crisis threatened to deepen as the war is now in its eighth week.
Iranian officials earlier on Sunday held firm that ships wouldn鈥檛 pass while the U.S. blockade remained in effect. 鈥淚t is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,鈥� Mr. Qalibaf said.
In his post about talks, Mr. Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by firing at ships transiting the strait. Iran has called the U.S. blockade a violation, and foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Sunday called it an 鈥渁ct of aggression.鈥�
Iran had announced the strait鈥檚 reopening after a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday. But Iran said it would continue enforcing its restrictions there after Trump said the U.S. blockade 鈥渨ill remain in full force鈥� until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States.
After a brief uptick in transit attempts on Saturday, Iran fired on two India-flagged merchant ships that were forced to turn around, leading India to summon Iran鈥檚 ambassador over the 鈥渟erious incident.鈥� India noted that Iran earlier let several India-bound ships through.
For the Islamic Republic, the strait鈥檚 closure 鈥� imposed after the U.S. and Israel launched the Iran war on Feb. 28 during talks over Tehran鈥檚 nuclear program 鈥� is perhaps its most powerful weapon, inflicting political pain on Trump. For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran鈥檚 already weakened economy by denying it long-term cash flow.
The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.
Since most supplies to U.S. military bases in the Gulf region come through the strait, 鈥淚ran is determined to maintain oversight and control over traffic through the strait until the war fully ends,鈥� Iran鈥檚 Supreme National Security Council said late Saturday. That means Iran-designated routes, payment of fees and issuance of transit certificates.
The council has recently acted as Iran鈥檚 de facto top decision-making body.
Pakistan presses on diplomacy and Iran issues a warning
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who spoke by phone with Iran鈥檚 Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, has said his country was working to 鈥渂ridge鈥� differences between the U.S. and Iran.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh on Saturday told The Associated Press that the U.S. is 鈥渞isking the whole ceasefire package鈥� with its blockade.
Mr. Khatibzadeh said Iran won鈥檛 hand over its stock of 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium to the United States, calling the idea 鈥渁 nonstarter.鈥� The deputy minister didn鈥檛 address other proposals for the enriched uranium, saying only that 鈥渨e are ready to address any concerns.鈥�
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Magy reported from Cairo and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Munir Ahmed contributed to this report from Islamabad.
