War of Nerves Ahead of Second Talks: "Destruction if No Agreement" vs "No Consent to Participate"

Trump: "If No Agreement, All Power Plants and Bridges Will Be Destroyed"

Iranian Media: "No Talks Until U.S. Lifts Maritime Blockade"

The United States and Iran are engaged in a show of force ahead of the second ceasefire talks. U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the negotiating team would soon arrive in Pakistan, threatening to destroy all major infrastructure if Iran does not agree to a deal. In contrast, Iran has drawn a line, stating that it has not agreed to participate in the second ceasefire talks. As the ceasefire is set to expire on April 21 (local time), the Iran war is once again at a crossroads of uncertainty.

According to Iran's Tasnim News Agency on April 19, Iran stated that no talks would be held as long as the U.S. maritime blockade continues, and reported that a decision had not yet been made on whether to dispatch an Iranian negotiating team to Pakistan.

Tasnim News Agency said, "Iran has not yet agreed to the second round of talks due to President Trump's announcement of a maritime blockade and the persistent excessive demands from the United States during recent exchanges of messages."

The agency further explained, "Iran made it clear that the fundamental condition for ongoing talks is that the United States not make excessive demands during negotiations. Otherwise, Iran does not wish to waste time on prolonged and unproductive discussions." It added, "The Iranian negotiating team will not participate in any talks as long as President Donald Trump's declaration of a maritime blockade on Iran remains in place."

On the morning of the 20th, President Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, "My delegation is heading to Islamabad, Pakistan. They will be there tomorrow evening (April 20) for negotiations." A White House official explained that the delegation for the second ceasefire talks is expected to include Vice President J.D. Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.

President Trump stated, "We have made a very fair and reasonable proposal and hope they will accept it. Otherwise, the United States will destroy all of Iran’s power plants and bridges," raising the threat level.

President Trump’s mention of destroying Iran’s infrastructure is interpreted as a demonstration of his intention to hold additional negotiations with Iran before the ceasefire ends on April 21.

Iran also reportedly wants Vice President Vance to participate, and if negotiations proceed, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, is expected to lead the Iranian delegation as he did in the first round of talks. However, Iran denies that its participation has been decided, arguing that the United States has violated the ceasefire negotiation framework.

With tensions rising again, The New York Times pointed out that if the second round of talks takes place, the repercussions could be significant. However, if the talks break down, fighting will resume and severe turmoil could be triggered in the global economy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.