Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told reporters that it hopes US-Iran negotiations will continue to avoid negative consequences for the region and the global economy.
Peskov said Moscow is closely monitoring developments surrounding the ongoing diplomatic engagements between the United States and Iran. According to him, maintaining dialogue between the two countries remains critical to preventing a potential escalation that could destabilize the broader Middle East.
“We can see that the situation in the Gulf remains fragile and unpredictable. We hope that the negotiation process will continue and that we will be able to avoid a further escalation towards a military scenario.”
Dmitry Peskov
He asserted that Russia is not currently a mediator in the negotiation process, “but we are ready to provide any assistance to facilitate a peaceful resolution and help reach an agreement.”
For the Kremlin, the continuation of negotiations is not only a matter of regional security but also a safeguard against economic disruption that could reverberate across global markets. By urging both sides to remain engaged in talks, Moscow is positioning itself as a supporter of diplomatic engagement at a time when the geopolitical environment remains highly volatile.
His remarks came as Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran has no plans to take part in talks with the US in Pakistan. This threatens Pakistan’s plans for multiday negotiations between the warring nations less than 48 hours before a fragile ceasefire is set to expire.
Baghaei said today that Washington had “violated the ceasefire from the beginning of its implementation,” citing the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since April 13, and the overnight capture of an Iranian container ship by the US military as breaches of the truce as well as international law.
In the early hours of today, Trump announced on Truth Social that the US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Spruance had intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, the Touska, nearly 900 feet (274 metres) long, in the Gulf of Oman after its crew refused to heed warnings to stop. “Our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” Trump wrote.
He added that US Marines have now taken charge of the vessel, which Trump alleged was under US Treasury sanctions for prior “illegal activity.” “We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” he said.
Iran has described the seizure of the ship as “piracy.” Minutes before Trump’s Truth Social message, Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, wrote on social media that violations of international law, the continuation of the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, threats of further strikes, and what he described as unreasonable demands could not be reconciled with a genuine pursuit of peace. “As long as the naval blockade remains, faultlines remain,” he added.
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his representatives were heading to Pakistan for a second round of negotiations with Iran, as the ceasefire, due to expire on Wednesday, edges towards its deadline. However, Trump accompanied his announcement with a revival of earlier pre-ceasefire threats to bomb Iran’s energy and power facilities.
Officials acknowledged that rising tensions in recent hours have cast a cloud over the prospects of negotiations. According to sources, unlike the first round of talks held in Islamabad on April 11, Pakistan has been aiming to get the US and Iran to agree to multiple days of negotiations, until a temporary deal – mediators are calling it a memorandum of understanding (MoU) – is signed, effectively extending the ceasefire. If the MoU is agreed, it would give negotiators a longer window; even up to 60 days, to secure a longer peace deal.
However, all of that will hinge on the participation of Iran, which has now said it has no plans for talks. Officials do not expect a final deal this week, even if the Iranians eventually agree to join talks in Islamabad. The immediate goal is likely to be a ceasefire extension, with both sides in Islamabad working towards a limited understanding.
Iran Warns Retaliation
Moreover, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, warned that if the US and Israel launched aggression again, Iranian forces “will respond accordingly.”
Esmaeil Baghaei reaffirmed that Tehran’s 10-point proposal, submitted before the first round of Islamabad talks, remained its basis for any negotiation.
“The US is not learning its lessons from experience and this will never lead to good results.”
Esmaeil Baghaei
He said that Iran had informed Pakistan, the principal mediator between the two sides, of these violations. Pakistani officials said they remain cautiously hopeful that they can bring the two sides back to the negotiating table. Islamabad has been gearing up to host the second round of talks between the US and Iran aimed at ending their war.
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