Iran President says diplomacy key, Pakistan tells Trump US blockade hurdle to talks

The two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US is set to expire on Wednesday, with US representatives set to reach Islamabad for Iran negotiations on Monday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday batted for giving diplomacy a chance while Pakistan army chief Asim Munir rang up US President Donald Trump, urging him to remove impediments to talks.

Pezeshkian said that every rational and diplomatic path should be used to reduce tensions with the U.S., but added that vigilance and distrust in interactions with Washington were an “undeniable ⁠necessity”.

Pezeshkian also said the US blockade showed ‌that Washington ⁠was moving toward “repeating previous patterns and betraying diplomacy”, according to state ​TV.

US ​President Donald Trump was given a message on similar lines by Pakistan’s Munir: that the ⁠US blockade of ⁠Iran’s ‌ports was a hurdle ‌to peace talks. Trump said he would consider Munir’s advice ​when ​the ​two spoke by phone, ​a Pakistani ⁠security source told Reuters.

Uncertainty remains the key word as the West Asia war closes in on two months. Iran has denied it is planning to take part in peace talks with the United States a day after President Donald Trump announced he was sending a team to Islambad, warning Tehran of dire consequences if it rejected the deal.

The two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US is set to expire on Wednesday, with US representatives set to reach Islamabad for Iran negotiations on Monday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei was quoted as saying by Tasnim News that Pakistan is currently the only official mediator in the diplomatic process and added that Tehran is not intending to take part in negotiations so far.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday batted for giving diplomacy a chance while Pakistan army chief Asim Munir rang up US President Donald Trump, urging him to remove impediments to talks.

Pezeshkian said that every rational and diplomatic path should be used to reduce tensions with the U.S., but added that vigilance and distrust in interactions with Washington were an “undeniable ⁠necessity”.

Pezeshkian also said the US blockade showed ‌that Washington ⁠was moving toward “repeating previous patterns and betraying diplomacy”, according to state ​TV.

US ​President Donald Trump was given a message on similar lines by Pakistan’s Munir: that the ⁠US blockade of ⁠Iran’s ‌ports was a hurdle ‌to peace talks. Trump said he would consider Munir’s advice ​when ​the ​two spoke by phone, ​a Pakistani ⁠security source told Reuters.

Uncertainty remains the key word as the West Asia war closes in on two months. Iran has denied it is planning to take part in peace talks with the United States a day after President Donald Trump announced he was sending a team to Islambad, warning Tehran of dire consequences if it rejected the deal.

The two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US is set to expire on Wednesday, with US representatives set to reach Islamabad for Iran negotiations on Monday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei was quoted as saying by Tasnim News that Pakistan is currently the only official mediator in the diplomatic process and added that Tehran is not intending to take part in negotiations so far.