Iran is making participation in the new talks in Islamabad conditional on ending the naval blockade. At the same time, Washington claims that it is ready to negotiate an end to the war.
- Iran is making participation in the new negotiations conditional on ending the naval blockade of the ports.
- Vice President JD Vance will lead the American delegation to the talks in Islamabad.
- The US delegation is also supposed to include negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Iran has not yet decided to participate in a new round of negotiations with the United States in Pakistan’s Islamabad. It is demanding an end to the naval blockade of its ports, Iran’s Tasnim news agency close to the Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday. US President Donald Trump previously announced that US representatives will be in Pakistan on Monday evening to negotiate an end to the war, TASR writes, according to reports from the DPA and Reuters agencies.
The US delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance, a White House official told AFP. Trump previously indicated that Vance would not participate in the trip. Negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also expected to be part of the delegation. Iran has not yet officially commented on the possible meeting.
The first phase of negotiations
The United States and Iran held their first high-level talks in Pakistan last weekend on April 11 and 12, but ended with no apparent results. It has raised questions about whether they will be able to agree on an end to the war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, before the current ceasefire expires next Wednesday.
The opening of the Strait of Hormuz, crucial for global oil supplies, remains a significant point of contention. Iran announced its reopening on Friday, but reversed the decision on Saturday after Trump announced that the US would continue its naval blockade of Iranian ports until a peace deal is reached.
