WASHINGTON, April 15. /TASS/. The US is creating new obstacles to dialogue with Iran by attempting to enforce a naval blockade, Arab Center Washington DC Executive Director Khalil Jahshan told TASS.
"The sweeping maritime blockade of Iranian ports in the [Persian] Gulf by the US military reflects the failure of international mediation efforts taking place in Islamabad to resolve the conflict with Iran by bridging the outstanding gaps between the parties," the expert emphasized.
"By targeting Iranian ports and international commercial vessels sailing through the region, the [US President Donald] Trump administration is contributing to heightened tensions in the region and creating new impediments to potential resumption of talks with Iran before the expiration of the current ceasefire," Jahshan noted.
Following the US-Iran talks held on April 11 in the Pakistani capital, the Washington administration announced its intention to impose a naval blockade on Iran. According to the White House, the implementation of these military plans began on April 13. The US has declared its readiness to block the movement of all vessels heading toward the Iranian ports, as well as those attempting to leave its shores.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a large-scale operation against Iran. On April 7, the US president announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with Tehran. On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad. The Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, while the US delegation was headed by Vice President JD Vance. Both Tehran and Washington later reported that the parties failed to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement due to a number of contradictions. It is not yet known if a new round of consultations will take place. Nevertheless, the US government stated that these talks could resume in person in Islamabad in the coming days.