Iran signals deep distrust of US despite push for diplomacy

Published 20 Apr, 2026 01:07pm 1 min read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that every rational and ​diplomatic path should be used to reduce ‌tensions with the US, but added that vigilance and distrust in interactions with Washington were an “undeniable necessity”, according to the ​state news agency IRNA.

A two-week ceasefire between ​Iran and the US is set to ⁠expire on Wednesday, with US representatives set ​to reach Islamabad for Iran negotiations on Monday, ​while Tehran has yet to announce whether it will send a delegation to Pakistan.

Iranian state TV quoted an unnamed informed source ​as saying there were no plans for ​a second round of negotiations due to the US’s “excessive ‌and ⁠irrational” demands as well as its changing stances.

The adversaries are at loggerheads over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran tightened control over maritime transit as ​the US ​continues to ⁠blockade Iranian ports and on Sunday took custody of a vessel trying ​to get past the American blockade.

Both Iran ​and ⁠the US have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

Pezeshkian said the US blockade showed ⁠that ​Washington was moving toward “repeating previous ​patterns and betraying diplomacy”, according to state TV.

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