Iranian Authorities Urge Supporters to Remain in Streets Despite Strict Rules

US-Iran Talks End Without Agreement

A marathon negotiation session between US and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan, concluded without a breakthrough on Sunday. The talks, which lasted for one day, were led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliament speaker of Iran.

According to Ghalibaf, the US delegation failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation during the negotiations. The US President, Donald Trump, stated that the US Navy will begin the process of blocking any ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz in Iran’s southern waters.

Trump also announced that the US military remains “locked and loaded” and will take action at an unspecified time. In response, Iranian authorities welcomed the fact that the Iranian delegation did not accede to Washington’s core demands, including eliminating nuclear enrichment on Iranian soil and ending Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei praised the Iranian delegation for guarding the rights of supporters of Iran’s government, who have been converging on main squares, streets, and mosques in Tehran and other cities every night for more than six weeks. State television reported that a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) told flag-waving supporters not to be concerned, saying “If the enemy does not understand, we will make them understand.”

Multiple lawmakers in Iran’s parliament expressed happiness that the talks did not yield results, citing their belief that Iran had the upper hand in the war. They called for a United Nations Security Council resolution that would signal surrender for the US and lead to the lifting of sanctions against Iran and its leaders.

The Iranian delegation to Islamabad consisted of over 85 members, including representatives from state-affiliated media and analysts close to different factions. The talks established that a diplomatic breakthrough was not imminent, and more escalation was likely, even if there is no immediate return to full-fledged fighting.

Source: Al Jazeera