Iran stalls on US peace talks as ceasefire deadline looms - but Trump insists deal is 'imminent'
US Vice President JD Vance is reportedly set to lead an American delegation to Islamabad for a second round negotiations between Washington and Tehran this week
Iran is still considering whether the attend peace talks with the US in Pakistan as the end of the two-week ceasefire looms.
Listen to this article
US Vice President JD Vance is reportedly set to lead an American delegation to Islamabad for a second round negotiations between Washington and Tehran this week.
But Iran's rulers have yet to confirm their attendance at the talks, leading many to fear that strikes will begin again once the fragile truce runs out on Wednesday.
Read more: ‘Critical diplomatic moment’ as Iran ceasefire deadline looms, says Cooper
Read more: Donald Trump weighs in over appointment of ‘really bad pick’ Mandelson
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran was considering attending the meeting in Pakistan, but added that “continued violations of the ceasefire” by the US were a major obstacle to continuing the diplomatic process.
On Monday night, Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Donald Trump of increasing pressure on Iran though the blockade and ceasefire violations.
He claimed Tehran refused to negotiate under threat, warning that “we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield”.
But the country's officials could be lured to the talks by Islamabad's efforts to end a US blockade of Iran’s ports, which has been a key obstacle in Iran rejoining peace efforts.
A senior Pakistani official also told Reuters that the country had "received a positive signal" from Tehran about attending negotiations and preparations for the talks were still going ahead.
Despite the uncertainty, President Trump claimed a deal with Iran would happen “relatively quickly”.
Writing on Truth Social, the US leader said the US would not lift its blockade until Iran had agreed to a deal.
He also believed the nuclear deal the US was negotiating with Tehran would be better than the 2015 international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program.
In an interview on The John Fredericks Show, Mr Trump warned Iran that if it did not negotiate it wold see "problems like they’ve never seen before".
"They're [Iran] going to negotiate. And if they don't, they're going to see problems like they've never seen before," the US president said.
"And they're going to negotiate, and hopefully they'll make a fair deal, and they'll build their country back up."
As the world waits for Tehran to confirm its attendance, oil prices fell on Tuesday while most stocks rose on lingering hopes for a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.