“Bad faith, sieges and threats” are the main obstacles in negotiations between the US and Iran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed on Wednesday, further criticizing Washington for its “hypocritical and contradictory behavior”.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian wrote: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always welcomed and continues to welcome dialogue and agreement. Bad faith, sieges and threats are the main obstacles to real negotiations. The world is witnessing your hypocrisy, empty talk and the discrepancy between your claims and actions.”
It comes after US President Donald Trump said he had decided to extend the truce with Iran to give its “fractured” leadership more time to come up with a unified proposal. He also claimed that the decision was taken on the request of Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Based on the fact that the Iranian government is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly, and at the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, we have been asked to carry out our attack on Iran until their leaders and representatives come up with a unified proposal.
Military to continue naval blockade: Trump
Trump added that the U.S. military would continue the blockade and remain ready while the ceasefire would remain in place until Iran made its proposal and negotiations were concluded.
“I have therefore ordered our military to continue the blockade and in all other respects remain ready and capable and therefore extend the ceasefire until their proposal is presented and until discussions are concluded, one way or the other. President DONALD J. TRUMP,” the post read.
A cease-fire has no meaning if it is broken by a naval blockade: Iran
Meanwhile, in response to Trump’s threat, Iran said on Wednesday it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the US naval blockade continued, despite the ceasefire. Tehran also announced that it had seized two ships that were trying to pass through the strategic waterway.
“A full ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by a naval blockade,” said Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation to the first round of talks in Islamabad.
“Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible amid flagrant ceasefire violations.”
Oil prices, which have risen since Israel and the United States attacked Iran on February 28, were still hovering around uncertainty over whether the war would resume, although U.S. stock prices rallied.
