Despite announcements by American media about the possibility of holding negotiations over the weekend (Saturday or Sunday), information obtained by Tasnim indicates that Iran still harbors serious doubts regarding US good faith and its willingness to avoid excessive demands.
Iran believes that due to Washington’s breach of commitments at the outset of the negotiations and the continuation of such conduct so far, a potential next round of talks is unlikely to yield results.
Iran has conveyed through Pakistani intermediaries that the United States must first fulfill its commitments and secondly abandon its habitual excessive demands in negotiations.
While the Pakistani mediator is seeking to arrange a second round of talks, Iran has stated that without completing the necessary preliminaries and reaching a proper framework, such negotiations would be unproductive.
On February 28, following the assassination of late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and several military commanders, the US and Israel initiated a sweeping military campaign against Iran. In response, the Iranian Armed Forces executed a series of counterattacks over a span of 40 days, targeting American and Israeli military installations in the region and demonstrating their combat capabilities. Contrary to the expectations of a swift victory, the Iranian retaliations caused considerable damage to US and Israeli assets, prolonging the conflict and escalating tensions in the region.
In an attempt to ease hostilities, a two-week ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan on April 8, allowing for mediated negotiations to take place in Islamabad. Iran presented a ten-point plan during these discussions, which called for the withdrawal of US troops, the lifting of sanctions, and control over the key Strait of Hormuz. Despite engaging in 21 hours of intense talks with US negotiators in Pakistan, the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran without reaching an agreement, citing a lack of trust and the US’ political flip-flop.