Hours after Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Tehran had sent Pakistani mediators a new proposal for talks with the US, President Donald Trump said on Friday (local time) that he was “not satisfied” with it.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said: “They want to make a deal, but I’m not happy with it,” adding: “We just had a conversation with Iran. We’ll see what happens. But I would say I’m not happy.” Asked what the proposal’s flaws were, the US president replied: “They’re asking for things I can’t agree with,” AP reported.
Read also | Iran sends Pakistani mediators a new proposal for negotiations with the US
The development comes days after Iran sent another proposal to the US aimed at reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz while delaying the deal on Iran’s nuclear program. According to Al Jazeera, early indications were that the previous proposal was unlikely to be accepted in its current form.
Ceasefire between the US and Iran
The proposal came amid a shaky three-week truce between Washington and Tehran that appears to be holding even though the two countries have traded accusations of violations.
While the ceasefire, which has been extended indefinitely, has largely halted the fighting in Iran, Tehran and Washington are at an impasse over the Strait of Hormuz, which is responsible for transporting nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the closure of the strait days after the US and Israel went to war in late February. The move shocked the global energy market, with oil prices rising to $126 a barrel in April.
Read also | Once Iran’s aging oil wells are shut down, they may never restart
The US imposes a naval blockade
After the first round of talks failed in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, the US president imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports as a result of Tehran’s refusal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade, which continues to this day, has now become the reason why Iran has not agreed to a second round of peace talks. Iranian officials cited the blockade as the main reason for rejecting peace talks with Washington, despite efforts by Pakistani mediators to persuade them. Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Islamabad, a move that renewed hopes for an early peace deal; however, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry denied the meeting between the two sides. Before Trump could send special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks, Araghchi left Pakistan, after which Trump called off his delegation’s visit to Pakistan.
Read also | Trump cancels visit of US envoys to Pakistan after Iranian FM Araghchi leaves
US-Iran negotiations continue
Negotiations continued by phone after Trump canceled his envoys’ trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. He expressed frustration with Iran’s leadership, calling it broken. “It’s a very disjointed leadership,” he said. “Everybody wants to make a deal, but everybody’s confused,” Trump was quoted as saying by the AP.
Iranian leader talks with regional counterparts
On Friday, Araghchi held a series of phone calls with several of his regional counterparts, including Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Azerbaijan, to update them on his country’s latest initiatives to end the war, according to his social media.
He also spoke with the head of the European Union’s foreign policy, Kaja Kallas. The two discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and long-term security measures, Kallas’ office said in a statement. Kallas was also in contact with the European Union’s partners in the Persian Gulf.
Iran is ready to resume diplomacy: Masoud Pezeshkian
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that the Islamic Republic is ready to resume diplomacy with Washington provided Washington drops its “maximalist” demands and stops its “maritime piracy” against Iranian ships in the Persian Gulf, IRNA reported.
He made the remarks during a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, accusing the US and Israel of committing war crimes against the Islamic Republic during a recent war of aggression by assassinating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior political and military officials and attacking key public infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and secure nuclear facilities.
Since the war began in late February, both sides have reached out to several world leaders who also hope for lasting peace in the Middle East, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sparked panic around the world.
Key things
- Diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran are deadlocked due to unmet demands.
- The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has significant implications for global oil markets.
- The US naval blockade against Iran complicates peace efforts and fuels regional tensions.
