The first negotiations between the Persian country and the United States took place two weeks ago in Islamabad, after the implementation of a ceasefire
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, returned to Pakistan this Sunday (26), a country that acts as a mediator between Tehran and Washington in the Middle East war, despite United States President Donald Trump canceling the trip of his envoys.
The first negotiations between Iran and the United States took place two weeks ago in Islamabad, following the implementation of a ceasefire.
But all attempts to continue them have failed, despite fears that the conflict that has plunged the Middle East into chaos and shaken the global economy could reignite.
According to Iranian state news agency ISNA, Araghchi has a meeting scheduled with senior Pakistani officials to convey Iran’s “positions and opinions within the framework of any agreement for the complete end of the war” in the Middle East.
The minister had already visited Islamabad the day before and from there traveled to Oman, while other Iranian envoys returned to Tehran “to consult and receive the necessary instructions on issues related to the end of the war”, ISNA reported.
Before the meetings between Iran and Pakistan held on Saturday in Islamabad, the White House had announced that Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, would travel to Pakistan to continue the negotiations.
However, Trump refused to allow them to take a “15 or 16 hour” flight for conversations that he said could be conducted over the phone.
Disagreeing with Tehran’s position, the Republican president stated that there was no point in meeting to “talk about anything”, and announced that Iran had revised its proposals minutes after the cancellation.
“They gave us a document that should have been better and, interestingly, as soon as I canceled it, in less than ten minutes, we received a new document that was much better,” he told reporters, without giving further details.
‘Very fruitful’
Asked if the cancellation meant a return to hostilities, Trump responded: “No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about that yet.”
The last few hours have been turbulent in Washington, where an armed man was detained during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Trump doubts the incident is related to Iran, but nevertheless emphasized that it will not stop him from “winning the war.”
The Iranian foreign minister met in Islamabad with Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, a key mediator; Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
On Saturday, Araghchi described his trip to Pakistan as “very fruitful” but expressed skepticism about Washington’s intentions. He later flew to Oman.
“It remains to be seen whether the United States is truly committed to diplomacy,” he said.
After his meetings in Islamabad, he will travel to Moscow.
Blockade in Hormuz intensifies
Pressure to end the war has intensified due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for oil and gas transport.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has declared it has no intention of lifting the blockade, which has affected energy markets.
“Controlling the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the shadow of its deterrent effect on the United States and the White House’s allies in the region is Islamic Iran’s definitive strategy,” he said on Telegram.
In retaliation, the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
In a statement carried by state media, the Iranian military warned that continued US “blockadeing, banditry and piracy” will provoke a response.
Israel bombs Lebanon
On the Lebanese front of the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes against Hezbollah after accusing the pro-Iran group of violating the ceasefire extended this week.
“We must understand that Hezbollah’s violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire,” Netanyahu declared this Sunday, in a video released on the occasion of his weekly cabinet meeting.
The Lebanese Shiite group rejected the accusation and said it will continue to respond to Israel’s ceasefire violations and occupation of southern Lebanon.
Lebanese state media reported Israeli bombings in the south of the country this Sunday.
“Israeli warplanes launched an attack against Kfar Tibnit, one of the locations included in the alert,” reported the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA), which specified that there were casualties.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel reserves the right to act against “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks.”
