Islamabad, Apr 21: The prospect of a second round of talks was uncertain Tuesday after Iran’s chief negotiator said Iran would not negotiate in the face of threats while US President Donald Trump offered mixed messages about the path ahead for the US war against Iran, declaring that he was in no rush to end the conflict.
Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, wrote in a post on X early Tuesday that “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats,” and the Islamic Republic has been preparing “to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
Trump indicated that he still expects to dispatch his negotiating team, led by US Vice President JD Vance, to Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad for talks, even as Iran insisted it would not take part until the US leader dialed back his demands. Trump said he’s “highly unlikely” to renew the ceasefire before it expires Wednesday.
Since the war started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 US service members throughout the region have been killed.
Israeli strikes kill 5 in Gaza
Israeli strikes killed at least five people in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, hospital authorities said.
Four suspected militants were killed when a drone strike hit a security point just after overnight in the southern city of Khan Younis, the Nasser hospital said.
Another man was wounded in the strike, it said.
Israel’s military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The militant-manned point was around 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) west of the so-called Yellow Line, separating the Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza, according to relatives of those killed.
In the northern town of Beit Lahiya, a 30-year-old woman was killed when the Israeli navy opened fire toward tents sheltering displaced people early Tuesday, the Shifa hospital said.
The Israeli military said it wasn’t aware of attacks in Beit Lahiya.
The deaths were the latest among Palestinians in Gaza since a fragile October ceasefire deal took hold to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
Iran state TV says no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad … so far’
Iranian state television on Tuesday issued an on-screen alert saying that “no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad … so far” as speculation about possible talks with the United States grows.
The on-screen alert likely reflects the internal debate ongoing within Iran’s theocracy as it weighs how to respond to the US Navy’s seizure of an Iranian container ship over the weekend.
Iranian state TV long has been controlled by hard-liners within Iran’s theocracy.
So far, no official has acknowledged that a delegation will be heading to Islamabad, where officials have been on standby for days now for the possible talks.
US Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead an American team to the talks.
Iran has offered no word on who could lead its delegation.
Last time, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf led the Iranian side.
China says war is at critical stage of transition,’ calls for further negotiations
China said it hopes all parties can maintain the momentum for peace talks, as the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war is set to expire Wednesday.
“The current situation is at a critical stage of transition between war and peace. At such a moment, it is all the more necessary for all parties to show the utmost sincerity, remain committed to a political solution, maintain the momentum of the ceasefire and negotiations,” said China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
China’s Xi Jinping called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz Monday.
While it’s not directly involved in ongoing mediation efforts, diplomats have said China had pressed for Iran to attend the first round of negotiations.
Pakistan says China supports efforts to facilitate US-Iran talks
China has expressed support for Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate engagement between the United States and Iran for peace and stability in the region and beyond, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The ministry said Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong conveyed the message during a meeting with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, where both sides discussed the latest regional developments.
Dar reaffirmed the “all-weather” Pakistan-China strategic cooperative partnership, underscoring strong bilateral ties and the importance of continued high-level exchanges, the statement said.
Thousands of security personnel deploy in Islamabad
Security has been tightened across Pakistan’s capital, where authorities have deployed thousands of personnel and increased patrols along routes leading to the airport, as US and Iranian delegations are expected to arrive this week for the second round of talks, witnesses and officials said Tuesday.
Security arrangements appear stricter than those put in place during the first round of talks held in the capital on April 11 and 12, following diplomatic efforts by Pakistan and regional countries, including China, to ease tensions in the region.
Pakistan has not announced final dates for the talks, however.
Analysts say the scale of the security measures suggests the possibility of high-level participation if negotiations make progress.
“The arrangements this time are markedly different from those during the first round,” said Syed Mohammad Ali, an Islamabad-based security analyst.
“Pakistan appears to be preparing for the possibility of visits by top US and Iranian leaders if the talks advance to a stage where an agreement could be signed,” he told The Associated Press.
EU transportation ministers meet on energy, jet fuel concerns
Transportation ministers from across the 27-nation European Union are meeting in Brussels Tuesday to discuss spiking energy prices because of the war in Iran, and how to protect consumers at home and at the pump after the head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe has “maybe six weeks” supply left of jet fuel.
“This evolving geopolitical crisis in the Middle East has highlighted that Europe may have a short-term issue in supply of fuel,” said Cyprus Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, who is chairing the virtual meeting.
He said that currently there is currently no crisis, but that the bloc must prepare for the possibility of shortages.
“If this ever happens, it will affect connectivity, it will affect every citizen in the Union,” Vafeades said.
“We need to be ready to avoid queues at the gas stations if this ever happens.”
Pakistan’s top diplomat speaks with Egyptian counterpart
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, to discuss the latest regional developments, as part of a diplomatic push linked to a possible second round of talks between the United States and Iran.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said both leaders emphasized the importance of dialogue and engagement for peace and stability and agreed to remain in close contact.
The statement gave no further details.
While Pakistani officials have expressed confidence that Iran will send a delegation late Tuesday night, there has been no formal announcement from Tehran.
Trump said over the weekend that he is sending a US delegation to Pakistan.
Russian authorities lift restrictions on flights to UAE and in Iranian airspace
Russia’s Transport Ministry announced Monday that Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, “lifted recommendations for Russian airlines to temporary halt sales of tickets to flights to and from the UAE,” Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Restrictions on flights via Iranian airspace have also been lifted, the report quoted the ministry as saying in an online statement.
Flights to Iranian airports and transit flights over the country will be carried out with recommendations from local aviation authorities taken into account, the report said.
Restrictions on flights to the Middle East were introduced in February. (AP)
