‘America is not serious at all’: Iran will not attend second round of peace talks after ‘aggression’ against Iranian vessel

Iran has said it is prepared to confront the US following what it described as an “aggression” against an Iranian vessel, while also signalling that any immediate response has been delayed due to the presence of crew members’ families on board. According to Iranian state media, an armed forces spokesperson said Tehran was ready to respond after the incident, warning that it would take “necessary action” once the safety of the crew and their families had been ensured.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday (April 20) that Tehran’s delegation will not be attending the second round of peace talks in Islamabad. He also accused Washington of undermining diplomacy, saying the US had committed “aggressive acts” and violated ceasefire provisions. Baghaei added that Iran cannot forget the US attacks on the country during previous negotiations.

“The Americans are playing the game of blaming Iran,” Baghaei said, according to remarks carried by Iranian media. “This game is ongoing instead of them playing a positive role. But we cannot expect the Americans to tell the truth; they are always accusing us. It seems that America is not serious at all.”

Separately, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, said Washington would not succeed at the negotiating table after failing to achieve its objectives through military means. In an interview with Russian newspaper Vedomosti, Jalali said US and Israeli attacks on Iran had not met any of their stated goals.

‘In which of their tasks have they achieved success?’

“They stated that they could conquer all of Iran in a few days and carry out regime change,” Jalali said. “In which of their tasks have they achieved success? Not in one.”

He added that US demands had shifted during the conflict, moving from regime change to securing access to the Strait of Hormuz, and dismissed a proposed naval blockade as ineffective. Jalali also claimed that the conflict had strengthened Iran’s resolve and said Washington had previously agreed to a 10-point Iranian plan before withdrawing from it.

“What Trump did not achieve during the war, he will not achieve in negotiations,” he said, adding that any talks would require a “fair compromise” based on mutual benefit.