The last week has been a yes but no, although maybe but better not, but now yes but finally no. Constantly, USA y Pakistan have been ensuring that negotiations with Iran were imminent, which first had to be held on Wednesday; then on Friday. Then, Sunday or Monday.
In the end, as the American president confirmed this Saturday night, Donald Trumpwill not take place now, nor is there a scheduled date for when they can be held. Tehranfor its part, has been the only one that has maintained its position: since last weekend, the Islamic Republic has assured—in private and in public—that the second round of negotiations with Washington will not happen as long as the US maintains its double blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
That blockade, as well as the Iranian closure of the passage, remains in force. “We will not enter imposed negotiations. The United States must eliminate its operational obstacles. Only then will the ground be fertile to resolve the conflict,” said the Iranian president, Mesud Pezeshkianin a phone call overnight this Sunday to the Pakistani Prime Minister, Shebhaz Sharif.
This Saturday, Iran sent its Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchitoward Islamabad to meet Sharif, the Pakistani foreign minister, Ishaq Darand the field marshal of the Asian countryAsim Munir. The three men are the ones who have led mediation efforts between the two warring countries.
At the meeting with the Pakistanis, Araghchi gave a peace proposalso that it could be shared with Washington. Trump rejected it a few hours later, and announced that his chief negotiator, Steven Witkoffand his son-in-law, Jared Kushnerthey canceled their trip to Pakistan. “We have all the cards in this war, and they don’t have any. If they want to talk, All you have to do is call!“said the US president on Saturday night, a few hours before the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner he was attending.
Islamabad… throw in the towel?
With these announcements, the pessimism has taken over the mediating countries, led by Pakistan. Islamabad, since last Monday, had been closed and quarantinedgiven the imminence and great possibility of the talks. This Sunday, the Pakistani Government has raised the enormous safety cord.
This does not mean, however, that the negotiations have entered into a dead end, although they are very affected. This Sunday morning, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan —Türkiye has also taken a leading role in this mediation effort—has spoken with both Araghchi and Witkoff and Kushner, with a minute difference between the two calls. The Turk has not given details about what was discussed.
Aragchi, who left Islamabad overnight on Saturday, is now in Omana country with which Iran shares the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Iranian news agency MehrAraghchi will return to Islamabad this Sunday for further consultations with the Pakistanis, and then head to Moscow. Russia has offered to solve the blockage in the negotiations, especially with regard to the future of the iranian nuclear program and the destiny of 440 kilos of highly enriched uranium currently in Tehran’s possession.
From this point on, everything is unknown. Iran assures that the foreign minister could return to Islamabad as soon as necessary, but repeats that there will be no conversations with the US as long as Trump maintains his blockade in Hormuz. This blockade, imposed two weeks ago, prevents Iran from exporting its own crude oil and gassomething that the Islamic Republic was able to do during the weeks of active war.
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