US Hijacks Ship, Iran Refuses Negotiations

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TEHERAN – Iran signalled on Monday that it does not plan to send negotiators to Islamabad for the next round of talks with the US, threatening Pakistan’s plan for multi-day negotiations between the warring countries less than 48 hours before the fragile ceasefire is due to expire.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Washington has “violated the ceasefire since the beginning of its implementation.”

He warned that if the US and Israel launch new aggression, Iran’s armed forces “will respond appropriately,” while reiterating that Tehran’s 10-point proposal, submitted ahead of the first round of talks in Islamabad, remains the basis for any negotiations.

“The US has not learned from experience,” Baghaei said, “and this will never lead to good results.” He said Iran has informed Pakistan, the main mediator between the two sides, about these violations.

Pakistani officials said they still hope to bring both sides back to the negotiating table. Islamabad is preparing to host the second round of talks between the United States and Iran aimed at ending their war.

However, officials acknowledged that rising tensions in the last few hours have clouded the prospects for negotiations.

Unlike the first round of talks held in Islamabad on 11 April, Pakistan aims to have the US and Iran agree to multi-day negotiations until a temporary agreement – referred to by mediators as a memorandum of understanding – is signed. This would effectively extend the ceasefire, a source close to the efforts told Al Jazeera.

If the MoU is approved, it would provide more time for negotiators – even up to 60 days – to reach a longer-term peace agreement.

Iranian state media also reported that the government plans not to hold talks with the United States in Islamabad. The US blockade of Iranian ports remains a major obstacle.

This tension was exacerbated by the attack and seizure of Touska by US forces last night. The state broadcaster IRIB quoted Iranian sources as saying “there are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US negotiations.”