The US and Iran remain poles apart

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Talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad are on ice. Iran’s foreign minister travelled to Pakistan twice this weekend for discussions with mediators, but Donald Trump cancelled a planned trip to the country by his envoys. It is a sign of the distance between the two sides. Although the US insists Iran is desperate for a deal, Tehran is refusing to participate in direct negotiations while American forces continue to blockade its ports. Other sticking points are Iran’s nuclear programme and its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. A fragile ceasefire has been extended, but may not last. The US is hoping its blockade will choke Iran’s economy and force it to make concessions. It is yet to have the intended effect.