Iran will not send a delegation to a second round of negotiations with the US , as tensions between the two countries soar over a US attack on an Iranian cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz .
Speaking at a press conference on Monday morning, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Bagahei said there were no plans "for now" for another round of talks with the US.
Bagahei said Tehran had submitted a 10-point proposal as a basis for discussion, but accused Washington of violating the negotiations "from the beginning of its implementation", including by imposing a naval blockade on Iran .
His comments come after US President Donald Trump said forces from US Central Command had attacked an Iranian cargo ship attempting to bypass Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports.
Statements carried by Iranian state media have reinforced Tehran’s refusal to attend the talks. IRNA stressed that reports circulating about a second round of negotiations were "false" , blaming "US excessive demands, unreasonable and unrealistic expectations, frequent shifts in positions, and the so-called naval blockade".
Reports suggest sticking points remain between the two sides, with Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile among the key issues on which neither side appears prepared to compromise. Pakistani mediation efforts intensify Despite Iran’s refusal to send a delegation to Islamabad, Pakistani mediators have stepped up efforts to bring Tehran and Washington back to the table.
Authorities have tightened security in the capital ahead of the negotiations, locking down parts of Islamabad and deploying some 20,000 security personnel.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a phone call with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian late on Sunday, during which the Iranian leader criticised Washington’s conduct, citing "continued breaches of commitments and bullying and unreasonable behaviour during the negotiations and the ceasefire" that was reached on 8 April.
A source in Pakistan’s foreign ministry told The New Arab that Sharif had urged Iran’s leadership to send a delegation to Islamabad to participate in the talks, but had yet to receive confirmation.
The source added that Tehran’s position remains that the US must lift the blockade before it agrees to any further dialogue.
However, Iran does not appear to have ruled out future talks altogether.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said negotiations remain part of Iran’s broader strategy, insisting there would be "no retreat in the field of diplomacy".
A US delegation is nonetheless expected to land in Pakistan later on Monday.
The negotiating team is believed to be headed by Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Two US military aircraft landed at Nur Khan Air Base near Islamabad earlier on Sunday, carrying specialised security teams tasked with escorting the American officials.
Pakistan has also held talks with US officials.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker at the US embassy in Islamabad, with discussions focused on preparations for this week’s talks in the Pakistani capital, although Naqvi’s office did not specify when negotiations are expected to begin.