Iran says it received’t settle for ’maximalist calls for’ as Islamabad hosts peace push By Reuters

By Saad Sayeed, Ariba Shahid and Steve Holland

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) – Iranian International Minister Abbas Araqchi laid out Iran’s calls for and its reservations about U.S. positions on Saturday as Islamabad hosted a brand new push to finish a warfare that has killed hundreds and roiled world markets.

Although particulars of the talks have been scant, Araqchi met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and different high-ranking officers. The White Home had earlier introduced that President Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner would journey to the Pakistani capital on Saturday, however Iran has up to now dominated out a brand new spherical of direct talks. 

Washington and Tehran are at an deadlock as Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, which usually carries one-fifth of worldwide oil shipments, whereas the U.S. blocks Iran’s oil exports.

IRAN SETS OUT ITS ’PRINCIPLED POSITIONS’

The battle, during which a ceasefire is now in pressure, started with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28. Iran has since carried out strikes in opposition to Israel, U.S. bases and Gulf states, and the warfare has pushed up power costs to multi-year highs, stoking inflation and darkening world progress prospects.

Araqchi “defined our nation’s principled positions concerning the newest developments associated to the ceasefire and the entire finish of the imposed warfare in opposition to Iran”, mentioned a press release on the minister’s official Telegram account. 

Requested about Tehran’s reservations about U.S. positions within the talks, an Iranian diplomatic supply in Islamabad advised Reuters: “Principally, Iranian facet won’t settle for maximalist calls for.”

U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier advised reporters that Iran had an opportunity to make a “whole lot”. 

“Iran is aware of that they nonetheless have an open window to decide on properly,” he mentioned. “All they need to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in significant and verifiable methods.”

Araqchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday. However an Iranian international ministry spokesperson posted on X that Iranian officers didn’t plan to satisfy U.S. representatives and that Tehran’s issues can be conveyed to mediator Pakistan.

Trump advised Reuters on Friday that Iran deliberate to make a proposal aimed toward satisfying U.S. calls for however that he didn’t know what the provide entailed. He declined to say who Washington was negotiating with, “however we’re coping with the folks which can be in cost now”.

White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned the U.S. had seen some progress from the Iranian facet in current days and hoped extra would come this weekend, whereas Vice President JD Vance was able to journey to Pakistan as effectively.

CEASEFIRES IN PLACE, FEW SHIPS CROSSING HORMUZ

Days after Trump prolonged the ceasefire, worldwide flights resumed from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Worldwide Airport on Saturday, Iranian media mentioned. The primary passengers had departed for Medina, in Saudi Arabia, Muscat and Istanbul, with operations anticipated to speed up within the coming days. 

“Nicely, it’s a superb feeling. When flights resume, commerce is finished, and other people can do their jobs. It’s a superb feeling,” mentioned one passenger on the airport, the place passengers have been queuing at check-in desks. 

Iranian airspace has been largely closed because the begin of the warfare. Tens of hundreds of flights have been cancelled, rerouted and rescheduled worldwide, shutting a lot of ​the Center East’s airspace due to missile and drone threats.

Trump unilaterally prolonged a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday to permit extra time to reconvene the negotiators.

Oil costs surged this week, with Brent crude futures hovering 16%, on uncertainty over the destiny of the peace talks and as violence flared within the area.

Transport information on Friday confirmed that 5 ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz within the earlier 24 hours, in comparison with round 130 a day earlier than the warfare. The ships included an Iranian oil-products tanker however not one of the huge crude-carrying supertankers that usually feed world power markets.

Information analytics agency Vortexa mentioned this week it had recorded 35 complete transits by means of the U.S. blockade from April 13 to 22, involving Iran-linked or sanctioned vessels for inbound and outbound journeys. 

“The enemy, whose goal of crippling Iran’s missile and army capabilities has failed, is now looking for an honorable exit from the quagmire of warfare,” Iranian media quoted a defence ministry spokesperson as saying. “Iran is as we speak in agency management of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iranian state TV quoted the nation’s high army command as reiterating that Iran would react if U.S. forces continued their “blockade and piracy” within the area.

On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon prolonged their ceasefire for 3 weeks at a White Home assembly brokered by Trump, however there was little signal of an finish to the preventing in southern Lebanon. 

Israel invaded its northern neighbour final month to root out Iran’s Hezbollah allies after the militant group fired throughout the border in help of Iran. Tehran says a ceasefire there’s a precondition for talks.

4 folks have been killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanon’s state information company reported, and Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel, the Israeli army mentioned, within the newest problem to the ceasefire there.