Iran rejects 2nd round of talks with US, reports say

Iranian state media reported on Sunday evening that the country’s leadership has rejected holding a second round of talks with the United States, just hours after US President Donald Trump said his negotiators would travel to Pakistan on Monday for new discussions aimed at ending the war.

According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, Tehran refused a second round after last week’s talks in Pakistan failed. The agency said what it described as excessive US demands, shifting positions in Washington, and the continued naval blockade of Iranian ports left “no promising prospects for serious negotiations”.

IRNA also described reports about a second round of talks in Pakistan next week as a US-led media campaign aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran through an exchange of accusations.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump said US representatives would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening for further talks. However, there has been no official confirmation from Tehran on whether Iranian negotiators will also attend.

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