Iran said it is refusing to enter "imposed negotiations" as the prospect of a second round of direct talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan fades. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that the country would not negotiate under threats and blockade and that the US should remove "operational obstacles" in order to progress talks. Pezeshkian's comments come after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his visit to Pakistan was "very fruitful", having delivered a new proposal for talks with the US.
US President Donald Trump had cancelled a visit to Pakistan by negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff after Araghchi left, and said that Iran had "offered a lot, but not enough." As the negotiations remain stalled, the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the transit of 20 percent of the world's energy supply, remains closed, with the US continuing to interdict Iranian ships as part of its blockade of the country.