Just two days before the ceasefire deadline expired, Iran hardened its stance on talks with the United States, saying that keeping the door open to talks does not mean negotiating at any cost.“The announcement came at a time when US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that a US delegation would travel to Islamabad on Monday for fresh talks with Iran, state media Tasnim news agency reported. “We are offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they will accept it, because if they don’t, the United States will destroy every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran. Mr. Good Man will be no more!” He added.Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai said on Monday that “Tehran currently has no plans for the next round of talks.” Despite this, Iran has not completely refused diplomacy. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said in an interview with Al Jazeera, as quoted by ANI, that engagement with Washington would depend entirely on national priorities. He said that “Iran acts based on national interests” and is ready to do whatever is necessary to “safeguard the country’s interests and security.”Azizi stressed that continued dialogue is not without limits, saying, “It does not mean negotiating at any cost”. He stressed that Iran has defined red lines that “must be followed” and that sending a delegation to Islamabad would depend on receiving a “constructive response” and “positive signals” from the United States.Describing Tehran’s approach, Azizi said diplomacy is closely linked to its military stance. “We see the current talks as a continuation of the battlefield and we see nothing more than a battlefield in this,” he said. He said the talks would only be meaningful “if it delivers achievements that maintain the battlefield”, warning that this would not be the case “if the Americans intend to turn it into an area of ​​extreme demands based on their bullying approach.”“He also pointed to key conditions for any progress, noting that “the issue of Lebanon has been very important to us” and that “the release of frozen assets” remains a priority. Azizi warned that any move “contrary to the interests of the resistance front” would signal Iran’s rejection of the conditions and would have consequences.US-Iran ceasefire talks held in Islamabad on 11 April ended without any agreement. The discussion, mediated by Pakistan, lasted for about 21 hours but no result could be achieved. The standoff centered on disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.Iranian state outlets said the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains a central problem, with Tehran arguing it amounts to collective punishment.
