Iran has reportedly rejected participation in the second round of talks with the US, and is also miffed with the country’s “unrealistic” demands and the decision to continue with the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to news agency Reuters, the state IRNA news agency has said that Iran has rejected taking part in the second round of talks. Follow live updates on US-Iran war here.
The fate of the upcoming talks remains unclear as some reports also said that Iran is yet to decide if it would send negotiators for the talks.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has signaled that American negotiators would be in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Monday for the fresh round of talks amid a shaky ceasefire which is due to expire on Wednesday, April 22.
‘Atmosphere not very positive’
Iran’s IRNA, Fars and Tasnim news agencies have reportedly said that Tehran is yet to decide on whether to participate in the talks and has said that “the overall atmosphere cannot be assessed as very positive”, reported news agency AFP.
The IRNA has reportedly highlighted the US’s “maximalism and unreasonable and unrealistic demands, frequent changes of positions, constant contradictions and the continuation of the so-called naval blockade”, adding that “in these circumstances, there is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations”.
The first round of talks between Iran and the US also took place in Islamabad as Pakistan as positioned itself as a mediator amid the ongoing war. However, the talked remained inconclusive, given the US and Iran’s differences on several issues, especially Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
US team to be in Islamabad this week
Donald Trump on Sunday announced that a team of negotiators from the US will be heading to Pakistan this week, set to arrive in Islamabad on Monday. “My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan – They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump however also renewed threats to destroy bridges and power plants in Iran if Tehran fails to reach a peace deal.
There was some confusion over whether US Vice President JD Vance would be attending the second round of talks in Islamabad, which was later cleared up as the White House told a channel that Vance “will attend” the talks in Pakistan along with Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The confusion was caused by Trump’s earlier remark denying that Vance would attend the latest round of talks, citing security concerns.
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