KATHMANDU: Iran is not planning to participate in the upcoming round of negotiations with the United States in Pakistan, according to state media reports, signaling a further deterioration in already strained relations between the two countries.
The development comes after US President Donald Trump ordered American negotiators to travel to Islamabad, just days before the expiration of a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, citing official sources, confirmed that “there are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks.” Iranian news agencies, including Fars and Tasnim, described the current diplomatic environment as “not very positive,” emphasizing that the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports remains a key precondition for any meaningful negotiations.
The ongoing US naval blockade has emerged as a major point of contention. Tensions escalated further after a US destroyer reportedly fired upon and seized an Iranian vessel attempting to bypass the blockade. According to President Trump, the Iranian-flagged cargo ship “Touska” was stopped after failing to comply with warnings, with US forces damaging its engine room before taking control of the vessel.
Iran has strongly condemned the incident, labeling it as “armed piracy.” In response, Iranian authorities signaled potential retaliation, with reports from Tasnim indicating that Tehran has deployed drones toward US military ships operating in the region.
The standoff is unfolding against the backdrop of a temporary ceasefire involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, following a conflict that began with surprise US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The ceasefire, set to expire within days, has so far failed to pave the way for sustained diplomatic progress.
Only one round of talks has taken place so far, a 21-hour session held in Islamabad on April 11, which ended without a breakthrough. Despite continued behind-the-scenes efforts, both sides remain far apart on critical issues.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency cited Washington’s “unreasonable and unrealistic demands,” particularly regarding its nuclear program, as a key obstacle. A central issue in the negotiations is Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, which the US has pushed Tehran to relinquish.
President Trump claimed that Iran had agreed to hand over approximately 440 kilograms of enriched uranium. However, Iran’s foreign ministry has rejected this assertion, stating that the stockpile will not be transferred and that such proposals have not been part of formal negotiations.
The situation has been further complicated by Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy route responsible for transporting roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Iran had briefly reopened the strait following a ceasefire in Lebanon but closed it again in response to the continued US blockade.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that any unauthorized passage through the strait would be treated as hostile cooperation, with vessels risking military targeting.
Meanwhile, heightened security measures have been implemented in Islamabad ahead of the anticipated US delegation’s arrival. Road closures and movement restrictions have been enforced across the city and neighboring Rawalpindi.
A White House official indicated that the US delegation would be led by Vice President JD Vance, alongside Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner.
With tensions escalating both diplomatically and militarily, prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain as the ceasefire deadline approaches.
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