Iran has no plans to attend talks with U.S. in Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokesman says

Iran isn't currently planning to attend talks with the United States, the regime said, after President Trump sent U.S. negotiators to Pakistan to take part in renewed talks on Monday, just days before a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. expires.

The ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has been a significant sticking point, an issue further complicated by an American destroyer on Sunday firing on and seizing an Iranian ship that tried to evade it.

Tehran said it would retaliate, with the state-run Tasnim news agency reporting that Iran had sent drones in the direction of U.S. military ships after its vessel was seized.

Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a weekly press briefing Monday that, "As of now ... we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard."

State broadcaster IRIB on Sunday cited Iranian sources as saying "there are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-U.S. talks."

The state-run IRNA news agency pointed to the blockade and Washington's "unreasonable and unrealistic demands," saying that "in these circumstances, there is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations."

"We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it," Mr. Trump warned in a social media post on Sunday, while renewing his threat to order strikes to destroy all of Iran's power plants and bridges if a deal isn't reached.

CBS