Iran on Monday said it has decided not to take part in a second round of negotiations with the United States to end the West Asia conflict over what it called a “lack of sincerity”.
The peace negotiations
were to be held in Pakistani capital Islamabad, but the Iranian foreign ministry officially cancelled its participation effectively dismantling hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqai said the delegation from Tehran will not travel to Islamabad as they have “no plans” to engage in further talks with Washington. He said there is a profound lack of American sincerity, pointing to the recent seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz by the US as a primary reason for the collapse of the talks.
According to the Iranian government, this is a direct act of aggression that contradicts the spirit of diplomacy. Baqai accused the US of failing to honour its commitments, saying Washington has violated the ceasefire since the very “beginning of its implementation”.
He said Pakistan, as the mediator, has already been formally notified of these violations. “It seems that America is not serious at all,” he said during a press conference, alleging that the US is merely “playing the game of blaming Iran” rather than seeking a genuine resolution to the ongoing friction.
There is also a deep-seated skepticism about diplomatic intentions of the US. The Iranian foreign ministry said the US is repeating its “previous political errors” and has failed to learn “lessons from past experience”. The spokesperson said this stubbornness on the part of the Americans “will not lead to good results” as Tehran sees no value in returning to the negotiating table while Washington maintains its current trajectory.
The timing of the announcement added a layer of international embarrassment to the proceedings, as it came only hours after US President Donald Trump announced he was sending a team to Islamabad for the possible talks. By pulling out just as the American delegation was mobilised, Iran has left the prospect of high-level dialogue in a state of total disarray.
Iran further issued a military warning, making it clear while talks have been abandoned, its military readiness has been heightened. Baqai said if the US or Israel should “start new aggression”, the Iranian armed forces are prepared to respond “accordingly”.
