Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the US, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephonic conversation with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the US attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Hindustan Times.
The Iranian President on Sunday told Sharif that US actions, including bullying and unreasonable behaviour, have led to increased suspicion that the US will repeat previous patterns and "betray diplomacy", the Associated Press reported, citing Iranian state media.
Iran Rejects Participating In Second Round Of Peace Talks
Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator between the two warring nations. Hours after the call, Iran also rejected participating in the second round of peace talks in Islamabad. The two-week ceasefire between the two nations is set to end on 22 April.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported that there are “no plans” for further negotiations at this stage, blaming the US for what it described as excessive demands, shifting positions and “constant contradictions”.
US President Donald Trump said the vessel, named Touska, was seized by American forces after failing to respond to a warning to stop.
Iran has said the attack on the ship was a violation of the ceasefire and that it would retaliate soon for the "act of armed piracy".
"After Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska’s engine room. U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
