Iran is considering participating in peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday, following Islamabad’s moves to end the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports, a significant obstacle to Tehran rejoining peace efforts, as the end of a two-week ceasefire approaches.
However, the official emphasized that no decision has been made and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that ‘continuous ceasefire violations’ by the US are a major obstacle to the continuation of the diplomatic process.
Araqchi told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, in a telephone call, that Iran, while taking into account all aspects of the issue, would still decide how to proceed.
On Monday night, Iran’s negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused US President Donald Trump at X of increasing pressure on Tehran through the blockade and ceasefire violations, saying Iran rejects negotiations under threat.
A two-week ceasefire in a conflict that has killed thousands of people and rocked the global economy, especially energy markets, is set to expire this week.
It appeared to be in danger after the US said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship trying to evade its blockade and Tehran vowed to retaliate.
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At talks in Islamabad, Trump is eager for a deal that will help avoid another spike in oil prices and a slump in stock markets. Iran hopes to leverage its control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping channel for global energy supplies, to reach a deal that would prevent a resumption of war and allow financial relief from long-lasting sanctions and some leeway for its nuclear program.
Adding to the uncertainty, Vice President JD Vance remained in the United States on Monday, another source told Reuters, denying reports that he was already on his way to Pakistan for talks.
The senior Iranian official who asked not to be named said Tehran was “positively reviewing” its participation, a change from previous statements that ruled out participation and promised to retaliate for US aggression.
The official said mediator Pakistan was making positive efforts to end the US blockade and ensure Iran’s participation.
Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7, and did not specify when exactly it would end.
A Pakistani source involved in the negotiations said it would expire at 8pm on Wednesday Washington time (9pm Brasília time) or 3:30am on Thursday in Iran.
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Trump said on social media that he believed his administration’s nuclear deal with Iran would be better than a 2015 international deal reached after years of negotiations with then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat.
Trump withdrew from that agreement — which Congressional Republicans and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposed — in 2018, during his first term as president.
It was unclear what kind of deal could be reached in just a few days of negotiations, but the Republican US president predicted a quick result.
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‘I’m not under any pressure, although it’s all going to happen, relatively quickly!’ Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Blocking represents a problem
A Pakistani security source said that the Pakistani mediator, Field Marshal Asim Munir, had told Trump that the blockade was an obstacle to negotiations and that Trump had promised to consider ending the blockade.
The US had hoped to begin negotiations in Pakistan shortly before the ceasefire expired.
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However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that ‘the unconstructive and contradictory signals from US authorities bring a bitter message; they seek Iran’s surrender.’
‘Iranians do not submit to force,’ he added on X.
The US maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran lifted and then reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles about a fifth of the world’s supply of oil and liquefied natural gas.
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Oil prices rose around 5% as traders remained fearful that the ceasefire would end. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to a virtual standstill, with just three crossings in a 12-hour period, according to navigation data.
US Marines Board Iranian Ship
The US military said it fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship heading to Iran’s Bandar Abbas port on Sunday after a standoff. US Central Command released a video showing Marines descending ropes from helicopters onto the ship.
The ship was likely carrying what Washington considers dual-use items that could be used by the military, maritime security sources said on Monday.
Iran’s military said the ship came from China and accused the US of ‘armed piracy’, according to state media. They said they were ready to confront US forces over the ‘blatant aggression’ but were limited by the presence of the crew members’ families on board.
China, the main buyer of Iranian oil, expressed concern about the ‘forced interception’, and Chinese President Xi Jinping called for ships to resume passage through the strait normally and for the conflict to be resolved through political and diplomatic channels, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Trump warned on Sunday that the US would destroy all of Iran’s bridges and power plants if it rejected his conditions, continuing a recent pattern of such threats.
Iran said that if the United States attacked its civilian infrastructure, it would attack power stations and desalination plants in its Gulf Arab neighbors.
Preparing for negotiations that may not happen
Pakistan has prepared to host the talks despite uncertainty over whether they can go ahead. Around 20,000 security personnel have been deployed in Islamabad, according to a government official and a security official.
Thousands of people have been killed by Israeli and American strikes against Iran and in a parallel Israeli invasion of Lebanon since the start of the war on February 28. A truce in Lebanon is also in effect and Washington will host a second round of ambassador-level talks between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday as part of efforts to protect a fragile ceasefire.
