Pakistan steps up diplomatic bid to get US-Iran peace talks on track

DUBAI – Pakistan stepped up diplomatic efforts on May 21 to hasten US and Iran peace talks, as Tehran hardened its stance on the nuclear issue and President Donald Trump threatened new strikes if he did not receive 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.

Mr 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 surge in fuel prices.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was set to decide on May 21 whether to travel to Tehran as part of the mediation effort, three sources familiar with the negotiations said.

They sought anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Pakistan’s Interior Minister was in Tehran on May 20.

“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.”

Earlier, Iran’s ISNA news agency said Field Marshal Munir would travel to Tehran on May 21 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, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters that Tehran had toughened its position against one of the main US demands over the nation’s nuclear programme.

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 Mr Mojtaba’s remarks on May 21, gaining almost 2 per cent to US$107 a barrel.

US ready to act fast, Trump says

Mr Trump said on May 20 that he was willing to wait for a 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,” he told reporters.

Asked how long he would wait, Mr Trump replied: “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,” they said in a statement.

Iran submitted its latest offer to the United States this week.

Tehran’s descriptions suggest it largely repeats terms that Mr Trump had 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 US troops.

Iran restates sovereignty over strait

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister on May 21 restated Tehran’s claims to sovereignty over the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas flows, saying that aggression from the US, Israel and some regional states had fundamentally altered the security environment in the waterway.

In a legal commentary, Mr Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran could adopt “practical and proportionate measures” to protect its security and maritime safety, citing international law.

With the strait now effectively closed for almost three months, increasing shortages are pushing up energy prices across the globe in what the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called the world’s worst energy shock.

The IEA warned on May 21 that the peak of summer fuel demand, coupled with a lack of new Middle East supply, means the market could enter the “red zone” in July and August.

Some ships are managing to transit the strait, but only a trickle compared with the 125 to 140 daily passages before the war.

Iran’s state TV reporter said on May 21 that around 30 vessels have requested to transit since the night of May 20. These vessels are coordinating with Iranian naval forces to pass and “will most probably do so by tonight”, the reporter added.

Iran said it aims to reopen the strait to friendly countries that abide by its terms.

That could potentially include fees for access, which Washington says would be unacceptable.

Mr Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said their war aims were to curb Iran’s support for regional militias, dismantle its nuclear programme, destroy its missile capabilities and make it easier for Iranians to topple their rulers.

But Iran has so far retained its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, and its ability to threaten neighbours with missiles, drones and proxy militias.

It has already restarted some drone production during the ceasefire, CNN said on May 21, citing two sources familiar with US intelligence assessments. REUTERS