Iran Refuses Second Round of Talks, Keeps Hormuz Closed as US Naval Blockade Remains; Ceasefire to Expire on Wednesday

Tehran: Iran has categorically refused to send representatives to Islamabad for a second round of negotiations with the United States, declaring it will not engage in any talks as long as Washington maintains its naval blockade on Iranian ships and ports. The announcement came shortly after US President Donald Trump reiterated that talks would take place in Islamabad on Monday. Pakistan, which has been acting as intermediary, has yet to officially confirm the scheduled meeting.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran does not want war and that all its actions are purely in legitimate self-defence. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei described the American naval blockade on Iran's ports and coastal waters as illegal and a violation of the ceasefire agreement brokered through Pakistani mediation. Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh made clear that Iran would not hand over its uranium stockpiles to the United States under any circumstances.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will not be restored until the American blockade is lifted. Iran's Joint Military Command has also stated that cargo vessels will not be permitted to transit the strait for as long as US sanctions remain in force.

The two-week ceasefire is due to expire on Wednesday, raising fears of a sharp escalation if no diplomatic breakthrough is achieved before then. With Iran refusing to return to the table and the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, global energy markets and shipping routes face continued disruption, as the waterway carries approximately a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade.