Pakistan says no date fixed yet for new US-Iran talks
President Donald Trump lashed out on Monday after Iran denied it was holding talks with the United States. He declared in an angry social media post that the American military blockade would continue until there was a deal or what he called total surrender.
Trump called Iran duplicitous for openly saying it was not negotiating. He wrote that whether Iran wants to admit it or not, the two sides are talking about a problem that Iran has caused for decades. His post came after Iran denied direct talks were happening, even though Trump had said talks would occur when he called off a threatened bombing campaign over the weekend.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that its only talks were with Oman, focused on sharing control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade. Trump insisted Iran had asked for talks, but was now giving what he called usual excuses about controlling Hormuz. He said the strait is already fully controlled by the US Navy, and that nothing would pass through unless Iran agreed to a deal or surrendered completely.
Trump launched the war against Iran together with Israel in February. The original goals included destroying Iran’s nuclear industry and missile programs.
Pakistani officials told Turkish news agency Anadolu that no date or location has yet been finalised for the resumption of direct US-Iran talks. A senior Pakistani official said no meeting is scheduled in Islamabad within the next day. Pakistani and Qatari mediators remain in contact with both Washington and Tehran to arrange the next round of talks. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is expected to visit Tehran soon to discuss reviving negotiations under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed on June 17.
Sources said the first phase of talks would focus on restoring the ceasefire and returning to the situation before hostilities resumed on July 9, rather than addressing the nuclear issue immediately. Under one proposal, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the US would lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
According to a CNN report, a senior US Central Command officer sent an email to military analysts asking for creative and unconventional ideas to pressure and punish Iran. This unusual request suggests Washington may have limited options left to force Iran into an agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei repeated that Iran is not holding any current talks with the US. He said reaching an agreement with Oman would not be enough to reopen the strait as long as what he called American aggression continues. He also said the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war state.
Tensions on the ground continued to rise. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Several oil tankers rerouted away from the Bab al-Mandab Strait to avoid attacks by Yemeni forces, adding millions of dollars to shipping costs. An explosion was also reported near a tanker off the coast of Oman.
Israel launched two days of naval and ground military drills as regional tensions grew. Separately, Israel continued attacks on southern Lebanon despite an existing ceasefire, targeting several towns with drones and artillery.
Iran also announced it had executed two people accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister held phone calls with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s military chief to discuss ongoing diplomatic efforts in the region.
