DUBAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pakistan stepped up diplomacy on Thursday to hasten U.S. and Iran peace talks even as Tehran appeared to harden its stance over the nuclear issue amid new threats of strikes from U.S. President Donald Trump if he didn’t get the “right answers”.
Six weeks since a fragile ceasefire took effect, talks to end the war have made little progress, while soaring oil prices are stoking inflation and straining the global economy.
Trump also faces domestic pressure ahead of November’s midterm elections, with his approval rating near its lowest since he returned to the White House due to the fuel price surge.
Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir will decide on Thursday whether to travel to Tehran for mediation, three sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters.
They sought anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. Pakistan’s interior minister was in Tehran on Wednesday.
“We’re speaking to all the various groups in Iran to streamline communication and so things pick up pace,” said one of the sources.
“Trump’s patience running thin is a concern, but we’re working on the pace at which messages are relayed from each side.”
Iran’s ISNA news agency said Munir would travel to Tehran on Thursday for consultations. The text being discussed in Tehran is on the general framework, and some details and confidence-building measures as guarantees, the agency said.
However, Iran appeared to have hardened its stance over a key U.S. demand for the removal of enriched uranium from the country.
Two senior Iranian sources told Reuters that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a directive that Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, the sources said.
Brent crude oil climbed after Mojtaba’s remarks on Thursday, gaining almost 2% to $107 a barrel.
Trump said on Wednesday he was willing to wait for Tehran’s response but was also ready to resume strikes.
“Believe me, if we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go,” Trump told reporters.
Asked how long he would wait, Trump said, “It could be a few days, but it could go very quickly.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned against renewed attacks. “If aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time,” it said in a statement.
Iran submitted its latest offer to the U.S. this week.
Tehran’s descriptions suggest it largely repeats terms Trump previously rejected, including demands for control of the Strait of Hormuz, compensation for war damage, lifting of sanctions, release of frozen assets and the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
