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The state news agency of Iran, IRNA, has declared that the country will not attend the second round of the peace talks with the United States that is expected to be held in Pakistan. This decision is made soon after President Donald Trump announces that US negotiators, among whom is Vice President JD Vance, would visit Islamabad in order to hold further negotiations.

Tehran attributed its absenteeism to excessive demands by Washington, unrealistic expectations, changing positions, and the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran believes to be a breach of the current thinly veiled ceasefire. The interim ceasefire, mediated by Pakistanis, will lapse in the middle of the week, which will put further pressure on the stalling diplomatic process.

Past face-to-face negotiations in Islamabad earlier this month culminated in no deal following marathon negotiations. As the US persists in pressuring the Persians towards a permanent deal and pushes a threat of further action, Iran demands that its long-held concerns, such as the blockade and regional ones, be met. The evolution has increased the factor of uncertainty about the stability in the region.