Pakistan is preparing to host a second round of U.S.-Iran talks in the coming days
By Bernie,
Pakistan is preparing to host a second round of U.S.-Iran talks in the coming days, Pakistani officials confirmed, as U.S. security teams have arrived in Islamabad as part of preparations, AFP reported. The Serena Hotel has again notified guests to vacate, and the Marriott Hotel has issued similar departure notices. Security personnel in plainclothes have been visiting residences in buildings overlooking the capital's Red Zone, and residents along the route from Nur Khan Airbase to the hotel have been told not to record convoy movements.
No official date has been set, but ground-level preparations mirror those seen ahead of the first round. Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran this week for talks with Iranian officials aimed at bringing both sides back to the table before the two-week ceasefire expires on April 21. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said Saturday that Tehran is reviewing new U.S. proposals conveyed through Pakistani mediators during Munir's visit. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a regional tour that has taken him to Jeddah, Doha, and Antalya.
The first round of talks on April 12 lasted 21 hours and ended without agreement, with Iran's nuclear program and the status of the Strait of Hormuz as the main unresolved issues. President Trump imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports the following day. Iran announced Friday it was fully reopening the Strait, then reversed the decision Saturday, with the IRGC saying the waterway would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade. A tanker was fired upon by IRGC gunboats near the Strait on Saturday, and a container ship was struck by what the UK Maritime Trade Operations described as an "unknown projectile" roughly 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman. India summoned Iran's ambassador over what it called a "serious incident" involving two Indian-flagged ships that came under fire.
Trump told ABC News' Jonathan Karl that Iran's renewed closure of the Strait was a "serious violation" of the ceasefire, but said a deal would still be reached. "It will happen, one way or another, the nice way or the hard way, it's going to happen. You can quote me," Trump said. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump accused Iran of trying to get "cute" by reversing its announcement on the Strait.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Israeli Politics
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