Iran wary on talks as tensions rise following US ship seizure

Iran expressed reluctance to send diplomats to Pakistan for a second round of peace talks after the US maintained its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and seized an Iranian ship.

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Tehran has no plans to attend the potential negotiations—which would aim for an agreement to formally end the seven-week conflict—though a final decision hasn’t been made, foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday.

“There are various indications that there is no seriousness on the US side in advancing diplomacy,” he said. Iran is reviewing a US proposal delivered during a visit by Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, he added, according to the semiofficial Iranian Students’ News Agency. The details of the offer were not disclosed.

Baghaei’s comments came after a tumultuous weekend which cast fresh doubt on whether the two sides will meet before their ceasefire expires late US time on Tuesday. Differences remain on a raft of key issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and control over Hormuz, a key waterway for global energy supplies.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that special envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Pakistan for talks on Tuesday, according to Fox, though the US leader reverted to his escalatory rhetoric on social media, threatening the Islamic Republic with mass destruction in the event a deal isn't reached.

“We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” Trump said in a post on Sunday. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”

The language marked an abrupt shift from Friday, when Trump said an agreement with Iran was all but finalized. Iranian officials have denied conceding to key US demands, including ending the country’s nuclear program and handing over stockpiles of enriched uranium.