US President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Iran of violating a fragile ceasefire with the US "numerous times," a day before the agreement is set to expire and both countries are deliberating over a possible new round of peace negotiations.
"Iran has violated the ceasefire numerous times!" Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
According to reports, the US and Iran have signalled that they will hold a new round of ceasefire talks in Islamabad.
Neither the US nor Iran has publicly confirmed the timing of the talks, with Iranian state television denying any official was already in Pakistan’s capital.
Pakistan-led mediators received confirmation that the top negotiators, US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, will arrive in Islamabad early Wednesday to lead their teams in the talks, the officials said, according to a report by The Associated Press.
Trump also said that the US forces intercepted a ship carrying a "gift" to Iran from China as Tehran tries to restock its military during a ceasefire period.
US had earlier seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf, which was reportedly carrying chemical materials used to make missiles, which further heightened tensions in the region.
The ship had "a gift from China", which "wasn't very nice," Trump told CNBC.
"I was a little surprised," he added, saying he thought he had an "understanding" with China's President Xi Jinping.
A week ago, Trump announced that Xi had assured him there would be no Chinese weapons deliveries to Iran, a close partner with Beijing for years.
Beijing had rejected claims that it was connected to the Iranian cargo ship.
Earlier in the day, Trump claimed that the US was in a strong negotiation position.
"We're going to end up with a great deal. I think they have no choice... We're in a very, very strong negotiating position," Trump told broadcaster CNBC.
Both sides remain dug in rhetorically, with US President Donald Trump warning that “lots of bombs” will “start going off” if there’s no agreement before the ceasefire deadline, and Iran’s chief negotiator saying that Tehran has “new cards on the battlefield” that haven't yet been revealed.
White House officials have said that Vance would lead the American delegation, but Iran hasn't said who it might send, and Iranian state television on Tuesday broadcast a message saying that “no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad … so far.”
The ceasefire is likely to be extended if talks resume, even as Trump earlier said he may not extend it.
(With inputs from The Associated Press and AFP)
