Iran tells Pakistan US violations, threats hinder progress in talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed to Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday that repeated ceasefire violations and threatening actions by the United States remain the primary obstacles to advancing diplomacy between Tehran and Washington. The phone call came amid efforts to arrange a second round of negotiations in Islamabad, with a US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance preparing to depart for Pakistan. According to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Dar “emphasized the importance of continued dialogue and engagement at the earliest to resolve all pending issues in order to promote regional peace and stability.”

Iran’s grievances

In a statement released by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Araghchi expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s mediation efforts but stressed that “provocative actions” by the US, including ceasefire violations and threats against Iranian commercial vessels, were undermining the negotiation process. He also pointed to what he described as contradictory and threatening rhetoric from US officials. Araghchi said Iran will take all factors into account when deciding how to proceed with diplomacy. The comments came as US advance teams began arriving in Islamabad over the weekend.

Strait of Hormuz and ceasefire expiry

Pakistan hosted the first round of US-Iran talks on April 11-12 after brokering a 14-day ceasefire on April 8, which is set to expire on Wednesday. The strategic Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran briefly declared the strait open on Friday but closed it again after Trump announced the continuation of the US blockade of Iranian ports. On Sunday, American forces detained an Iranian cargo ship after opening fire and boarding it. Iranian authorities have demanded the lifting of the blockade.