Trump Says U.s. Negotiators Will Head To Pakistan Monday For Talks With Iran

WASHINGTON — President Trump said U.S. negotiators will caput to Pakistan connected Monday for different information of talks pinch Iran, raising hopes of extending a vulnerable ceasefire group to expire by Wednesday moreover arsenic Washington and Tehran stay successful a standoff complete nan Strait of Hormuz.

Iran did not instantly corroborate nan talks but its main negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, said successful an question and reply aired connected authorities tv precocious Saturday that “there will beryllium nary retreat successful nan section of diplomacy,” while acknowledging a wide spread remained betwixt nan sides.

The White House said Vice President JD Vance, who led nan first information of historical face-to-face talks past weekend, would lead nan delegation to Pakistan pinch envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Pakistani authorities began tightening information successful Islamabad. A location charismatic progressive successful nan efforts said mediators were finalizing preparations and U.S. beforehand information teams were already connected nan ground. The charismatic said connected information of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk preparations pinch nan media.

Iran connected Saturday said it had received caller proposals from nan United States. It was unclear whether either broadside had shifted stances connected issues that derailed nan past information of negotiations, including Iran’s atomic enrichment program, its location proxies and power complete nan Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s announcement repeated his threats against Iranian infrastructure that person drawn wide disapproval and warnings of warfare crimes. If Iran doesn’t work together to nan U.S.-proposed deal, “the United States is going to sound retired each azygous Power Plant, and each azygous Bridge, successful Iran,” he wrote.

Iran says transits of nan Strait of Hormuz are ‘impossible’

Ships remained incapable to transit nan captious waterway amid threats from Iran and a U.S. blockade connected ships heading to and from Iranian ports. Roughly one-fifth of nan world’s lipid waste and acquisition usually passes done nan strait, and nan world power situation threatened to deepen arsenic nan warfare is now successful its eighth week.

Iranian officials earlier connected Sunday held patient that ships wouldn’t walk while nan U.S. blockade remained successful effect. “It is intolerable for others to walk done nan Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Qalibaf said.

In his station astir talks, Trump accused Iran of violating nan ceasefire by firing astatine ships transiting nan strait. Iran has called nan U.S. blockade a violation, and overseas ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei connected Sunday called it an “act of aggression.”

Iran had announced nan strait’s reopening aft a 10-day truce betwixt Israel and nan Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group successful Lebanon took clasp connected Friday. But Iran said it would proceed enforcing its restrictions location aft Trump said nan U.S. blockade “will stay successful afloat force” until Tehran reaches a woody pinch nan United States.

After a little uptick successful transit attempts connected Saturday, Iran fired connected 2 India-flagged merchant ships that were forced to move around, starring India to summon Iran’s ambassador complete nan “serious incident.” India noted that Iran earlier fto respective India-bound ships through.

For nan Islamic Republic, nan strait’s closure — imposed aft nan U.S. and Israel launched nan Iran warfare connected Feb. 28 during talks complete Tehran’s atomic programme — is possibly its astir powerful weapon, inflicting governmental symptom connected Trump. For nan United States, nan blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened system by denying it semipermanent rate flow.

The warfare has killed astatine slightest 3,000 group successful Iran, much than 2,290 successful Lebanon, 23 successful Israel and much than a twelve successful Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers successful Lebanon and 13 U.S. work members passim nan region person been killed.

Since astir supplies to U.S. subject bases successful nan Gulf region travel done nan strait, “Iran is wished to support oversight and power complete postulation done nan strait until nan warfare afloat ends,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said precocious Saturday. That intends Iran-designated routes, costs of fees and issuance of transit certificates.

The assembly has precocious acted arsenic Iran’s de facto apical decision-making body.

Pakistan presses connected diplomacy and Iran issues a warning

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who said by telephone pinch Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi connected Sunday, has said his state was moving to “bridge” differences betwixt nan U.S. and Iran.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh connected Saturday told The Associated Press that nan U.S. is “risking nan full ceasefire package” pinch its blockade.

Khatibzadeh said Iran won’t manus complete its banal of 970 pounds of enriched uranium to nan United States, calling nan thought “a nonstarter.” The lawman curate didn’t reside different proposals for nan enriched uranium, saying only that “we are fresh to reside immoderate concerns.”

Price, Magdy and Metz constitute for nan Associated Press. Magy reported from Cairo and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Munir Ahmed contributed to this study from Islamabad.