A day after it refused to hold another round of talks with the US, Iran is now reportedly “willing for a second round” of negotiations under Pakistani mediation, though no decision is taken as to whether it will or not attend negotiations, reports New York Post.
Iran on Sunday had publicly refused to participate in the next round of Pak-brokered talks in Islamabad, accusing Washington of making “excessive demands”, not rooted in on-ground realities, shifting positions, and continuing its naval blockade of Iranian ports, which it flagged as a ‘clear violation of the fragile ceasefire’, which is set to expire on Tuesday.
“Current hard stance is posturing to extract maximum advantage when second round happens,” the person said, citing takeaways from discussions with the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.
“For now, no decision has been taken about whether we will have a second round,” the agency source reported. “Whenever we have a decision, we will share details.”
As per the agency report, Islamabad currently remains a trusted mediator by both nations, stating “Pakistan remains the sole trustworthy mediator, which means process is on and Islamabad will be the venue whenever a final decision is taken.”
The uncertainty over another round of talks taking place comes as President Donald Trump told The Post on Sunday that the Washington would soon restart negotiations, dispatching top representatives — including special envoy Steve Witkoff — to the region, even as tensions remain sky high, with the ceasefire itself hanging by a thread.
Regarding the prospects of holding another round of talks, and any chances of a successful negotiation, the mood in both Washington and Tehran is cautious, and almost entirely indifferent, with a source of the Post, confirming the US mood remarking “We are neither optimistic or pessimistic; rather, realistic.”
