Diplomatic flurry as US-Iran truce deadline nears

ISLAMABAD/WASH­IN­GTON: With the ceasefire between Iran and the US set to expire tomorrow (Wednesday), a US delegation is expected to head to Islamabad today (Tuesday), while Tehran also appeared open to sending its team for the second round of peace talks.

However, there was no official announcement from Iran by the time this report went to press.

In a separate post on Truth Social, he defended his war with Iran, saying that he was not persuaded by Israel to attack the country. “The results in Iran will be amazing,” he said, adding, “And if Iran’s new leaders (regime change!) are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future!”

In a social media post, President Trump said he believed a nuclear deal the US was currently negotiating with Iran would be better than a 2015 international agreement to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme.

On the other hand, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised “unconstructive and contradictory” signals by the US, saying they carried a “bitter message”.

“Honouring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue,” he said on X. “Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward [the] US [government] conduct remains, while unconstructive and contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran’s surrender. Iranians do not submit to force.”

He also said that his country would try to end the Middle East war with “integrity, wisdom and expediency”, state-run news agency IRNA reported.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also said Tehran was continuing talks with the United States but was ready to take “necessary measures” amid rising tensions, TRT World reported. “We do not trust the enemy. At any moment, it may escalate the war,” Ghalibaf said in televised remarks, according to the Mehr news agency.

Tensions in the Middle East further escalated following the seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman by US forces on Sunday. Trump described the move as enforcement of restrictions on Iranian ports, while Tehran called it “piracy” and responded with increased drone activity near US naval assets in the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

The US has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran lifted and then reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

“The blockade is very powerful, very strong. They lose $500 million a day with the blockade up,” he said, referring to Iran. “We control it. They don’t control it.”

Against this backdrop of distrust, Pakistan continued its diplomacy to pave the way for a peace framework that could end the weeks-long war. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday received a telephone call from António Costa, Presi­dent of the European Council as both leaders expressed their desire for the continuation of dialogue between the United States and Iran for lasting peace in the region.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to discuss “regional developments and ceasefire-related issues, exchanging views on ongoing coordination”.

FM Dar “emphasised the importance of continued dialogue and engagement at the earliest to resolve all pending issues, in order to promote regional peace and stability” in the phone call. He also spoke to Australia’s FM Penny Wong on Monday.

International powers also stepped up their diplomatic efforts to prevent any flare-up of hostilities, particularly due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, in which he reiterated the need to uphold the ceasefire and stressed the importance of continued diplomatic efforts. The Iranian side confirmed its readiness to do everything in its power to ensure the uninterrupted passage of Russian ships and cargo through the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reported.

Hormuz was also the highlight of a telephone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Mr Xi said that “normal traffic” through the vital strait “should be maintained”.

“Normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained, this is in the shared interests of regional countries and the international community,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Xi also stressed in the call with the Saudi prince that China “advocates for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire”, CCTV reported.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the United States and Iran to de-escalate amid increased tensions over the weekend over the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported. He also denounced the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as “a mistake on both sides”, AFP reported.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met the US and Iranian envoys to assure them of foolproof security measures.

In his meeting with Iran’s Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam, he informed that preparations for the second phase of the Islamabad talks had been completed and foolproof security arrangements had been made for foreign delegations.

In a separate meeting with US Ambassador Natalie Baker, he said special security arrangements had been made for all distinguished guests.

“Troops have been deployed everywhere along with Rangers, including Margalla Hills, Nur Khan Airbase, VVIP route, entry and exit points of Islam­abad and highly secured red zone, which houses important government buildings, the Parliament House, the Supreme Court and the Diplomatic Enclave.”