WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said U.S. negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran, raising hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday, even as Washington and Tehran remain in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.
"My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan—They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations," Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday morning.
Hours later, Iran's state news agency reported that Iran rejected new peace talks with the United States.
"Iran stated that its absence from the second round of talks stems from what it called Washington's excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire," Iran's official IRNA news agency wrote.
The White House said Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of historic face-to-face talks over 21 hours last weekend, would lead the U.S. delegation to Pakistan with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Pakistani authorities began tightening security in Islamabad.
Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the United States. It was unclear whether either side had shifted stances on issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by firing at ships passing the strait and threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran, if it doesn’t take the deal that the United States is offering.
"Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz—A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement! Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Iran Says Transits of Strait of Hormuz Are ‘Impossible’
Ships remain unable to transit the critical waterway amid threats from Iran and a U.S. blockade on ships heading to and from Iranian ports. Hundreds of vessels were waiting at each end for clearance.One of the worst global energy crises in decades threatened to deepen. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade normally passes through the strait, along with critical supplies of fertilizer for the world's farmers, natural gas and humanitarian supplies for places in dire need like Afghanistan and Sudan.
Iranian officials earlier on Sunday held firm that ships wouldn't pass while the U.S. blockade remained in effect. “It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Qalibaf said.
In his post about talks, Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by firing at ships transiting the strait. Iran has called the U.S. blockade a violation, and foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Sunday called it an “act of aggression.”
Iran had announced the strait’s reopening after a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon took hold on Friday. But Iran said it would continue enforcing its restrictions there after Trump said the U.S. blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States.
After a brief uptick in transit attempts on Saturday, Iran fired on two Indian-flagged merchant ships that were forced to turn around, leading India to summon Iran's ambassador over the “serious incident.” India noted that Iran earlier let several India-bound ships through.
For the Islamic Republic, the strait’s closure—imposed after the United States and Israel launched the Iran war on Feb. 28 during talks over Tehran’s nuclear program—is perhaps its most powerful weapon, inflicting political pain on Trump. For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened economy by denying it long-term cash flow.
The war—now in its eighth week—has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.
Since most supplies to U.S. military bases in the Gulf region come through the strait, “Iran is determined to maintain oversight and control over traffic through the strait until the war fully ends,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said late Saturday. That means Iran-designated routes, payment of fees and issuance of transit certificates.
Pakistan Presses on Diplomacy, Iran Issues Warning
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who spoke by phone with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, has said his country is working to “bridge” differences between the United States and Iran.Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh on Saturday told The Associated Press that the U.S. is “risking the whole ceasefire package" with its blockade.
Khatibzadeh said Iran won't hand over its stock of 970 pounds of enriched uranium to the United States, calling the idea “a nonstarter.” The deputy minister didn't address other proposals for the enriched uranium, saying only that “we are ready to address any concerns.”