Second round of US-Iran talks being discussed – White House

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is ready for dialogue, but won’t let Washington impose its terms

The US is in discussions on staging a second round of peace talks with Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.

The first direct meeting between the sides since the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 took place in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, at the weekend, but delivered no breakthrough. Tehran blamed the failure of the negotiations on Washington’s “unrealistic demands,” while the US reacted by announcing a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for Iran-linked vessels.

Speaking about the possibility of another round of talks during a briefing on Wednesday, Leavitt noted that “those discussions are being had, but nothing is official until you hear it from the White House.”

“We feel good about the prospects of a deal... and it’s obviously in the best interest of Iran to meet the president’s demands,” she added.

The talks “would very likely be in the same place as they were last time,” the spokeswoman said, referring to Islamabad.

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“The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process and we really appreciate their friendship and their efforts to bring this deal to a close,” Leavitt stressed.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated on Wednesday that Tehran “is not seeking war and instability, instead, it has always emphasized the importance of dialogue and constructive interaction with all countries of the world.”

“However, any attempt to impose any will on the country or force it to surrender is doomed to fail and the Iranian nation will never cave in to such an approach,” he stressed.

US President Donald Trump told the New York Post on Tuesday that new talks with Tehran “could be happening over the next two days.” In a separate interview with Fox News, he suggested that the conflict is “very close to being over.”

On Wednesday, Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the country’s leadership “is not giving up” on efforts to help achieve a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

READ MORE: End of Iran war ‘very close’ – Trump

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed the discussions between the US and Iran, urging the Americans to be “realists” during the negotiating process and “not continue the unprovoked aggression” against Tehran, which affects the entire Middle East.