"Strait of Hormuz Control vs. Nuclear Weapons Ban"... US and Iran Remain at an Impasse

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With the United States canceling its delegation's visit to Pakistan for ceasefire negotiations and the second round of talks collapsing, Iran has returned to Pakistan to present its conditions for ending the war. U.S. President Donald Trump continues to insist on a "no nuclear weapons" stance, indicating that it may take some time before both countries reach a comprehensive agreement.

According to Iranian media outlets such as Tasnim News on the 26th (local time), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, after visiting Oman and before heading to Russia. IRNA reported that some members of the Iranian negotiating team, who had returned to Iran, were also expected to rejoin Minister Araghchi in Islamabad that night.

After paying a courtesy call to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said in Oman, Minister Araghchi immediately returned to Islamabad, Pakistan, where he met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, among others.

Tasnim News reported that during the meeting, Minister Araghchi conveyed Iran's conditions for ending the war. The conditions presented by Araghchi include: ▲the introduction of a new legal regime for the Strait of Hormuz, ▲war reparations, ▲a ban on further attacks against Iran, and ▲the lifting of the maritime blockade on Iran.

However, an Iranian official stated, "The nuclear issue is not relevant to this discussion," and emphasized, "The important agenda is to communicate Iran's conditions for ending the war to Pakistan."

Previously, Iran had not issued an official response regarding participation in the second round of talks after the ceasefire extension. However, following the decision to visit Pakistan, there was speculation that the second round of talks could take place this weekend (April 25-26). Nonetheless, Minister Araghchi declared there were no plans to meet with the United States in Pakistan, resulting in the collapse of the second round of talks.

The New York Times reported that Minister Araghchi's return to Pakistan to present ceasefire conditions reflects Iran's assessment that it can endure for another 3 to 6 months under the current circumstances. Although Iran's economy is facing a severe crisis, disruptions to exports of key commodities such as oil and fertilizers could have an even greater impact on the global economy. The New York Times suggested that this situation may be used to persuade President Trump to advance the negotiations.

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Meanwhile, the United States has once again emphasized that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is its "red line." In a phone interview with Fox News, President Trump stated, "I am not going to send people (the U.S. negotiating delegation) on an 18-hour trip," adding, "They cannot have nuclear weapons. Otherwise, there is no reason to meet." He further said, "We will do it over the phone. So if they want, they can just call us."

Just a few days ago, there had been speculation about Vice President J.D. Vance traveling to Pakistan, raising the possibility of face-to-face negotiations, but the stance has now changed.

Bloomberg noted, "Some leaders in Europe and the Gulf Arab states remain skeptical that a peace agreement can be swiftly reached even if the second round of talks resumes," adding, "They expect it could take months to resolve issues such as the future of Iran's nuclear program."

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