The move that Trump is preparing in the negotiations with Iran, although a “definitive” decision came from Tehran
US President Donald Trump plans to give the Iranians a deadline to come up with a “unified proposal” to restart diplomatic negotiations, two sources familiar with the internal discussions told CNN on Wednesday.
It is currently unclear whether Trump's message has reached the Iranians.
The administration in Washington does not want to extend the truce indefinitely, the sources said, and it does not want to give Iran time to drag out the negotiations any longer.
The president was reluctant to extend the initial truce beyond Wednesday's deadline, the sources said. He wants a deal completed as soon as possible and had hoped the pressure of a deadline would force the Iranians to the negotiating table before the truce expires.
However, Trump's top advisers believe there is dissension within the Iranian leadership and that the Iranians do not have a consensus on their position to empower negotiators to finalize a deal, the US television station previously reported.
Trump's decision to give Tehran more time to present a “unified proposal,” as he characterized it, reflects the U.S. administration's desire to resolve the war diplomatically, as well as its reluctance to resume military strikes, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the US president believes that the blockade imposed by the US on the Strait of Hormuz will keep the pressure on the Iranians during the negotiations. Still, Trump's team recognizes that the longer the blockade lasts, the greater the damage to the global economy, the sources added.
Iran says its decision not to participate in talks is 'final'
Tehran has stated that its decision not to participate in the second round of peace talks with the US in Pakistan is “final”, the semi-official Iranian Tasnim agency wrote on Wednesday, according to Agerpres.
That decision was announced shortly before Donald Trump said he would extend the truce to give more time to negotiations, with the current two-week ceasefire set to expire Wednesday night Washington time.
According to Tasnim, Pakistan – as a mediator – was informed about Iran's decision, which was taken in order to fully protect the rights of the Iranian people.
The Tasnim news agency also writes that, despite the propaganda and speculation spread by the media and US officials, the Iranian negotiator team will not go to Pakistan on Wednesday to resume talks, for various reasons that have already been conveyed to the US through Pakistan.
The US, according to Tasnim, continued its naval blockade against Iran and made what it described as “excessive demands” in recent exchanges between the two sides, which the source said prevented significant progress. According to the same Iranian media, US naval pressure, including the blockade and other “hostile actions”, along with what it described as violations of commitments, obstructed Iran's participation in the next round of talks in Islamabad.
Trump announced the truce extension late Tuesday and said the US had agreed to delay a planned strike against Iran to give Tehran time to present a “unified proposal” ahead of possible negotiations.
“In view of the fact that the government of Iran is deeply divided – which is not surprising – and at the request of Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, we have been asked to delay the attack on Iran until the leaders and representatives of this country can present a joint proposal. Therefore, I have ordered our military to continue the blockade and in all other respects to remain ready and capable, and I therefore, extend the ceasefire until their proposal is presented and the talks are concluded, one way or another. President DONALD J. TRUMP,” the US president wrote in a message published on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Mahdi Mohammadi, the strategic affairs adviser to Iran's parliament speaker, said Wednesday after Trump's post on Truth Social that Trump's announced ceasefire extension was a “maneuver” to buy time for a surprise attack, warning that continued US pressure at sea would require a military response from Tehran.
“Trump's extension of the truce means nothing. The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from a bombing and must be met with a military response. Moreover, Trump's extension of the truce is definitely a maneuver to buy time for a surprise attack. The time has come for Iran to take the initiative,” this adviser wrote in a post on X.
Iranian and US delegations were expected to meet this week for a second round of talks in Pakistan after the first session of talks on April 11 and 12 failed.
