Foreign minister, Iranian counterpart hold phone call after Trump announcement

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic contact with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss the ongoing efforts by Pakistan that pushed both Iran and the US to proceed with the Islamabad Talks.

The contact between the two foreign ministers came after US President Donald Trump announced that his administration representatives will join in the second phase of the Islamabad Talks.

US President Donald Trump announced that the representatives of his administration will visit Pakistan to participate in the Islamabad Talks, as efforts by Pakistan pushed both US and Iran to strike a deal between the two countries.

The US President Donald Trump’s announcement confirmed that only the US representatives will join the US-Iran deal in Islamabad.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran,” Trump wrote.

Trump has accused Iran of violating a ceasefire agreement by opening fire in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that some shots were directed at a French vessel and a UK freighter.

In his post uploaded on the Truth Social, he expressed hopes that Tehran would agree to what he described as a “fair and reasonable deal.”

The president also referred to Iran’s reported move to close the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway was already effectively shut due to a US blockade. He claimed the closure was hurting Iran economically, estimating losses of around $500 million per day, while stressing that the United States was unaffected.

Trump warned that failure to reach an agreement could lead to severe consequences, including potential US strikes on Iran’s infrastructure. He added that the US was prepared to act if necessary, signaling a sharp escalation in rhetoric amid ongoing tensions.