'My representatives will be in Islamabad tomorrow evening': Trump on US-Iran negotiations
A combination photo of US President Donald Trump & Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian. Photo: Reuters
United States President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed that US representatives would travel to Islamabad for the second round of talks with Iran aimed at addressing the Middle East crisis.
“My representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — they will be there tomorrow evening, for negotiations,” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Referring to recent incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, he alleged that Iran had fired shots a day earlier, describing the action as a violation of the ceasefire agreement. He claimed that several of the shots were directed at a French vessel and a freighter from the United Kingdom.
President Trump further said that Iran had announced the closure of the Strait, calling the move “strange” and asserting that a blockade had already rendered it closed. “They’re helping us without knowing, and they are the ones that lose with the closed passage, $500 million a day. The United States loses nothing,” he said.
He added that multiple ships were now heading to ports in Texas, Louisiana and Alaska to load cargo, attributing the development to actions by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Read: As Iran war strains ties with Trump's US, UK looks to Europe
The US president said Washington was offering what he described as a “very fair and reasonable deal” to Tehran. He warned that failure to accept the proposal could result in severe consequences.
“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,” he said.
He added that Iran could either comply quickly or face further action, stating that it would be his “honour to do what has to be done”.
“It's time for the Iran killing machine to end,” he concluded.
The statement came after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Donald Trump had no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, according to the Iranian Student News Agency, as Washington and Tehran continue to face disagreements over nuclear issues.
"Trump says Iran cannot make use of its nuclear rights, but doesn't say for what crime. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?" Pezeshkian said.
Pezeshkian has emphasised his country’s commitment to peace and regional stability, stating that Iran isn't seeking war, but only acting in self-defence, according to Al Jazeera.
He criticised the US-Israeli forces targeting civilian infrastructure, calling it a violation of international law and evidence of double standards on human rights.
“We have not attacked any country, and in the current situation we do not intend to attack any party, and we are simply defending ourselves legitimately,” ISNA news agency quoted Pezeshkian as saying.
“It should not be suggested that Iran is seeking war. On the contrary, we are peace-loving, and what we are doing is legitimate self-defence. Just as every human being reacts to aggression, a nation also defends itself against attack,” he added.
US Vice President Vance to travel to Pakistan for Iran talks
US Vice President JD Vance would travel to Pakistan for Iran negotiations, a White House official told Anadolu, confirming his participation amid contradictory statements.
Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would also travel to Islamabad, according to the official.
Earlier Sunday, President Donald Trump said Vance would not be attending, informing ABC News of the Secret Service's concerns about arranging the vice president's security on less than 24-hour notice. "JD's great," Trump said, but logistics made the trip impossible on such short notice.
The confusion deepened throughout the day as ABC News, Axios, and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright separately reported that Vance would, in fact, lead the US delegation, contradicting Trump's statements.
Meetings are scheduled for Tuesday in Islamabad, possibly extending into Wednesday, Trump told Fox News. Vance previously led an earlier round of negotiations that ended without an agreement.
IRGC stockpile
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force commander Majid Mousavi said, alongside footage of stockpile repairs, that missile and drone launcher replenishment during the ceasefire has surpassed pre-war levels.
🔴 IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Gen. Mousavi:
🔺 During the ceasefire, Iran has been upgrading & replenishing its missile & drone capabilities faster than before the war, while the enemy has struggled to rebuild its stockpiles & must import munitions gradually from abroad. pic.twitter.com/zN6htvmnNW“During the ceasefire period, our speed in updating and refilling missile and drone launch platforms is even greater than before the war. We have information that the enemy is incapable of creating such conditions for itself and is forced to bring in ammunition from the other side of the world in a drip-feed manner,” the general said, according to Tasnim News.
“They have lost this stage of the war as well! They have lost the (Hormuz) Strait, and they have also lost Lebanon and the region,” he added.
Talks with US
Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said earlier that talks with the US to end the war had made progress but remained far from an agreement, as Tehran said the crucial Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Washington lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports.
In a televised address to the nation on Saturday night, Ghalibaf said the “third imposed war” began during negotiations through US deception, adding that previous conflicts had also started with the assassination of commanders, Tasnim News reported.
He said proposals relayed via countries, including Pakistan, were reviewed by Iran’s security council, and Tehran resisted pressure and warned against escalation. He added that after failing militarily, the US turned to indirect messaging, while Iran remained resolute post-ceasefire.
Ghalibaf said any truce must include Hezbollah, criticised the US naval blockade, and asserted Iran’s full control over the Strait of Hormuz. He said Iran met its objectives and would not allow US interference in the waterway.
"We are still far from the final discussion," Ghalibaf said in a national televised address, adding, "We made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain."
Mizan news agency reported him saying, “Sometimes I hear from the people of Azair and even the national media that they say that we have destroyed all of their military power, so let’s go ahead and destroy the rest and not negotiate."
“We will definitely have the upper hand on the field, and that is why Trump is requesting a ceasefire,” he said.
قالیباف: گاها از مردم عزیر و حتی رسانه ملی می شنوم که می گویند ما تمام قدرت نظامی آنان را نابود کردیم پس پیش برویم و بقیه را نابود کنیم و مذاکره نکنیم حتما برتری میدان به دست ماست و به همین دلیل است که ترامپ درخواست آتش بس دارد. pic.twitter.com/B0R9QgUZbe
"We have had progress but there is still a big distance between us," Ghalibaf told state media, referring to talks last weekend. "There are some issues on which we insist ... They also have red lines. But these issues could be just one or two."
Turkey ‘optimistic’ Middle East ceasefire will be extended: FM
Turkey said it remained “optimistic” that a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States set to expire on Wednesday would be extended.
“No one wants to see a new war break out when the ceasefire expires next week. We hope ... the parties will extend the ceasefire,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. “I hope there’ll be an extension. I am optimistic,” he said.
Ceasefire violations in Lebanon
An Israeli reserve soldier was killed and nine others injured in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army said Sunday, amid ongoing violations of a temporary ceasefire.
The army said Master Sgt Lidor Porat, 31, was killed during an incident, and that nine soldiers were wounded in the same incident, including one in serious condition.
The latest casualty brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed to 15 since March 2, when Israel expanded its attacks on Lebanon.
A 10-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight Thursday local time. US President Donald Trump had announced that the two sides had agreed to the truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel accepted the ceasefire but would continue to maintain its presence in areas it occupies in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army has continued to carry out strikes, claiming to target Hezbollah, despite the ceasefire.
Vessels report gunfire
At least two vessels were reportedly attacked on Saturday while trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. India summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi and expressed concern that two Indian-flagged ships had come under fire in the strait, the government said.
US Central Command said American forces were enforcing a maritime blockade of Iran but did not comment on the latest Iranian actions.
Read More: Iran reviews proposals as Trump says 'very good talks going on'
Tehran's reversal of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz raised the risk that oil and gas shipments through the strait could remain disrupted just as Trump weighs whether to extend the ceasefire.
When American and Iranian negotiators met last weekend in Islamabad, the US proposed a 20-year suspension of all Iranian nuclear activity, while Iran suggested a halt of three to five years, according to people familiar with the proposals.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said no date had been set for the next round of negotiations, adding that a framework of understanding must be agreed first.
Trump had said on Friday that there could be talks this weekend and that the two sides were "very close to making a deal."
There were no signs on Saturday of preparations for new talks in the Pakistani capital, where the highest-level US-Iran negotiations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended without agreement last weekend.
Also Read: Iran says no date set for next round of negotiations with US
Senior national security aides gathered at the White House on Saturday morning. Trump later went to the Trump National Golf Club with top envoy Steve Witkoff, one of his Iran negotiators.
Pressure for a way out of the war has mounted as Trump’s fellow Republicans defend narrow majorities in Congress in the November midterm elections, with US gasoline prices high, inflation rising, and his own approval ratings down.
Oil prices fell about 10%, and global stocks jumped on Friday on the prospect of marine traffic resuming through the strait. But hundreds of vessels and about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf awaiting passage through the waterway, shipping sources said.