Iran Rejects Peace Talks While Trump Sends Negotiators to Pakistan

Donald Trump warned Iran of a “total violation” of the cease‑fire after IRGC gunboats fired on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, then announced that U.S. envoys would land in Islamabad to revive stalled negotiations.

Iran rejects peace talks amid U.S. diplomatic push

Tehran’s state news agency IRNA said Washington’s “excessive demands” and the ongoing naval blockade made any new round impossible. “We will knock out every power plant and every bridge in Iran if a deal is not reached,” the president posted on Truth Social, raising the specter of a broader escalation.

“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told state TV.

The United States plans to send Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and former adviser Jared Kushner to Pakistan on Monday evening, a shift after earlier reports suggested Vance would stay home. Former diplomats warned that the team’s limited experience could lengthen the conflict, a concern echoed by Reuters. Key sticking points remain Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and control of the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz, which channels roughly ↑ 1/5 of global oil, was effectively shut on Sunday; satellite data showed almost no traffic after two tankers reported being hit. The U.S. Central Command said ↓ 23 ships have complied with orders to turn back since the blockade began, while plans are under way to board Iran‑linked tankers in international waters, according to AP News. Energy markets jittered as prices fell when the strait briefly opened on Friday, but the renewed closure threatens renewed volatility. The conflict, now in its eighth week, has already claimed thousands of lives across Iran, Lebanon and beyond, and displaced millions, underscoring the urgency of any diplomatic breakthrough.

Analysis by Elara Vance (Night-Shift Breaking News Lead).