Iran closes door to talks on uranium issue

Amid the ongoing tension over its uranium program, Iran has indicated that it is temporarily closing the path of direct talks with the United States. However, regional diplomatic activities continue and efforts are underway to find a solution through intermediary countries.

A report by the US media Axios, citing regional sources and US officials, said that Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey will continue talks between the United States and Iran in the coming days to resolve the remaining differences to end the war.

The parties concerned still believe that an agreement can be reached. The mediators hope that if the current differences are reduced, a new phase of talks can begin before the end of the ceasefire on April 21.

However, the situation is becoming more complicated. Sources say that if Iran does not change its position in the face of the US naval blockade, Donald Trump is considering military strikes again. Possible targets have been mentioned as infrastructure that he threatened to destroy before the ceasefire.

A US official, who did not wish to be named, said that the blockade, like the decision to withdraw from the talks in Pakistan, is part of the ongoing diplomatic negotiations. He claimed that the US does not want Iran to use the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of pressure in the negotiations.

On the other hand, a regional source said that the situation is not completely deadlocked. “The door is not completely closed yet. Both sides are continuing to negotiate — it is more like a market,” the source commented. In the same vein, a US official said that the prospects for a deal would be strong only if Iran shows more flexibility and considers Islamabad’s proposal as realistic.

Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said that the talks held in Islamabad were not a failure; rather, they laid the foundation for a long-term diplomatic process. He said that a sustainable solution is possible by preserving the interests of all parties concerned if there is trust and goodwill.