Iran pulls out of Islamabad peace talks after US seizes cargo ship

Iran says it will not be sending a delegation to participate in the second round of high-stakes peace talks with the United States in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, set to take place on Monday.

It comes after the US attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel it said had tried to evade its naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

Washington said it was deploying a negotiating team, chaired by Vice President JD Vance, to Islamabad to engage in efforts aimed at bridging gaps and reaching a comprehensive agreement to end the hostilities.

It is not yet clear whether the talks will proceed as planned without Iranian presence or whether the US will also withdraw.

Tehran’s joint military command vowed to respond, throwing the fate of a fragile ceasefire into question days before it expires.

The ship was the first to be intercepted by the US Navy since it began blockading Iranian ports last week in response to Tehran’s closure of the strategic waterway since the US-Israeli war on the country broke out on 28 February.

Read more: Euronews