Iran will not negotiate with the United States "under the shadow of threats", Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday, ahead of the second round of peace talks in Islamabad.
"Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table— in his own imagination— into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering," Ghalibaf said in a X post. "We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield," Ghalibaf, who is also Iran's top negotiator, added.
This comes after President Donald Trump on Monday said "lots of bombs [will] start going off" if no deal is reached before a fragile ceasefire with Tehran expires Tuesday evening, threatening the Islamic Republic with overwhelming military force. The threats come even as a US delegation prepared to return to Pakistan for a potential second round of peace talks.
The US Navy has blockaded Iranian vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz to pressure the regime ahead of the ceasefire deadline. Tehran has slammed the US action and vowed to retaliate against any military action.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that Washington's "unlawful actions and contradictory positions" do not match its claims of pursuing diplomacy. "Iran is closely monitoring the situation and will take whatever steps are necessary to protect its national interests and security," he said, according to local media.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X that "deep historical mistrust in Iran toward U.S. gov conduct remains" and declared that “Iranians do not submit to force.” That message came after Trump warned that Iran would “be hit very hard” if no deal was reached.
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