• Source:JND
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HighLights
  1. Trump announced Iran talks in Pakistan.
  2. Neither Iran nor Pakistan confirmed meeting.
  3. Hormuz blockade key obstacle, Munir told Trump.

Iran-US Peace Talks: Six hours have passed since US President Donald Trump announced that negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for further talks with Iran. However, neither Iran nor host country Pakistan has confirmed the meeting. According to Reuters, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir spoke with Trump and informed him that the Hormuz blockade remains the main obstacle to peace talks. Trump reportedly told Munir that he would consider his suggestions. Official confirmation from either side is still awaited.

Authorities in Islamabad had been making preparations for another round that could potentially happen there this week.

US's Hormuz blockade

The US has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then reimposed its own blockade on marine traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied gas supply. Until Saturday, the situation seems calming down but after Tehran fired shots at the vessels had ruined the hope of de escalation.

'Did not have plans to hold peace talks': Iran says

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehran did not have plans yet to attend any talks with the United States. "So far, while I am here, we have no plans for the next round of negotiations and no decision has been made in this regard," Baghaei said during a news conference.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not accept any deadlines or ultimatums to safeguard its national interests. We have clearly stated our red lines from the beginning, and we will not change our principled positions,” Baqaei said.

ALSO READ: 'Absolutely Brilliant': How Trump's Blockade Strategy Will Compel Iran To Surrender, Retired US Admiral Explains

“In none of the stages of current or previous negotiations was the issue of transferring Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles to the US or any other country raised, and fundamentally this option is not on the agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Trump hopes seems fading 

The US Navy's forcible seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ships threw doubt on an announcement from President Trump that US negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran. Trump's announcement Sunday had raised hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Unlike Cold War, Iran-US Conflict Is Bleeding Islamabad Dry: Why Pakistan Gets No Geopolitical Bonus This Time

Defending the action, he said the US forcibly seized the cargo ship that tried to circumvent a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week.

He said a US Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman "stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom" and that US Marines had custody of the vessel, named Touska, and were "seeing what's on board!"

(With inputs from agencies)

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