US President Donald Trump said on Sunday his envoys would return to Pakistan for new talks with Iran, while threatening new attacks on Iran’s bridges and power plants unless it accepts his terms.
Trump said the U.S. delegation would arrive on Monday evening, a timetable that leaves just a day for talks to make progress before a two-week ceasefire ends.
“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 posted on social media. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
Two giant US C-17 cargo planes landed at Pakistan’s Nur Khan air base on Sunday afternoon carrying security equipment and vehicles in preparation for the U.S. delegation’s arrival, two Pakistani security sources said.
City authorities in the capital Islamabad halted public transport and heavy goods traffic through the city. Rolls of barbed wire were rolled out near the Serena Hotel where last week’s talks were held. The hotel told all guests on Sunday to leave.
However, there was no immediate confirmation from Iran that it would attend any new talks. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that there had been no decision taken to send a delegation while a US blockade of Iranian ports was in place.
A White House official said the U.S. delegation would be headed by Vice President JD Vance, who led the war’s first peace talks a week ago. Trump’s envoy Steve Kushner and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would also attend. Earlier, Trump had told ABC News and MS Now that Vance would not go.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, earlier said the two sides had made progress but were still far apart on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.
The vital shipping strait remained closed on Sunday, a day after Iran fired on two vessels that tried to cross.
Iran, which has blocked off the strait to ships apart from its own since the United States and Israel attacked on February 28, had announced on Friday it would reopen it. But it reversed that decision on Saturday after Trump declined to lift a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
“Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz – A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!” Trump wrote in Sunday morning’s post. “That wasn’t nice, was it”
Iran has said that if the United States attacks its civilian infrastructure it would hit power stations and desalination plants of Gulf Arab neighbours.
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.