Mediators moved closer Wednesday to extending the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and restarting negotiations to salvage the fragile truce before it expires next week, officials in the region said.
A senior Iranian military official threatened to halt trade in the region if the US does not lift its naval blockade.
The US blockade on Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats have imperiled the week-old agreement, but regional officials said they were making progress, telling AP that the United States and Iran had an “in principle agreement” to extend it to allow for more diplomacy. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
A senior US official said the United States has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire and that “engagement” with Iran continues. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the sensitive negotiations.
The commander of Iran’s joint military command warned that Iran would completely block exports and imports across the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea if the US military does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports.
“Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty and its interests,” Ali Abdollahi said.
Elsewhere, the Pakistani military chief and the country’s interior minister arrived in Tehran as part of Pakistan’s ongoing mediation efforts, the military said.
Mediators seek compromise on sticking points
Before the two-week ceasefire expires on April 22, mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend — Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the mediation efforts.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran is open to discussing the type and level of its uranium enrichment, but his country “based on its needs, must be able to continue enrichment,” Iran’s state-media reported.
The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.
