DUBAI/WASHINGTON, 21 May (Reuters) – Pakistan stepped up diplomatic efforts on Thursday to speed up U.S.-Iran peace talks, while Tehran said it was reviewing Washington’s latest responses and President Donald Trump suggested he could wait a few days for Tehran’s ‘right answers’ but was also willing to resume attacks on the country.
Six weeks after a fragile ceasefire came into force, negotiations to end the war have made little progress, while rising oil prices raise concerns about inflation and the impact on the global economy.
Trump also faces domestic pressure ahead of November’s midterm elections, with his approval rating falling to the lowest level since returning to the White House due to rising fuel prices.
Pakistan’s Army chief Asim Munir will decide on Thursday whether to travel to Tehran as part of the mediation effort, three sources familiar with the talks told Reuters.
They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Pakistan’s interior minister was in Tehran on Wednesday.
“We are talking to all the various groups in Iran to speed up communication and get things up to speed,” one of the sources said.
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“Trump’s patience running out is a concern, but we are working on the pace at which messages are delivered from each side.”
Earlier, Iranian news agency ISNA reported that Munir would travel to Tehran on Thursday for consultations.
‘Believe me, if we don’t get the answers correct, it will happen very quickly. We’re all ready to go,’ Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. Asked how long he would wait, Trump said: ‘It might take a few days, but it could be very quick.’
Trump reiterated his determination not to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
‘We are in the final stages of Iran. Let’s see what happens. Either we make a deal or we do some things that are a little nasty, but we hope that doesn’t happen,” Trump told reporters earlier in the day.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned against further attacks. “If the aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time,” he said in a statement.
