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A two-week truce is set to end, and it remains uncertain whether Tehran will attend a second round of negotiations.

As the clock counts down to the conclusion of a two-week truce between theUS and Iran, all attention is focused on whether they can return to the negotiation table in Pakistan, as the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz persists.

Here are the key points from the events that transpired during the night.

What did Trump say?

US President Donald Trumpsafeguarded his conflict with Iran through a sequence of online messages. He stated he would not remove the restriction on the Strait of Hormuz “until there is a ‘DEAL’”.

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I came across a piece of false information claiming that I am facing ‘pressure’ to strike a deal. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I am experiencing absolutely no pressure, although, things will unfold relatively quickly! Time is not working against me.

He also claimed that “the agreement we are reaching with Iran will be significantly better than the JCPOA,” referencing the nuclear deal with Iran finalized under President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015.

He informed Bloomberg News that he was “very unlikely” to extend the two-week truce, which will end at 8pm on Tuesday, US Eastern Time (8am on Wednesday in Hong Kong).

In a different interview — with The John Fredericks Show, a right-leaning radio program — Trump stated that Iran would “be negotiating” and that Tehran would not possess a nuclear weapon as part of the agreement.

“Well, they will engage in discussions, and if they fail to do so, they will face challenges unlike anything they have encountered before,” he stated.

I hope they will reach a just agreement and rebuild their nation.

Will Iran turn up?

Tehran has not announced its intention to conduct a second round of discussions with Washington.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of parliament who guided the Iranian team in the initial phase of talks, stated on social media: “We will not engage in discussions while facing threats, and over the last two weeks, we have been ready to unveil fresh strategies on the battlefield.”

“Trump, by implementing a blockade and breaching the ceasefire, aims to transform this negotiation table – in his mind – into a table of submission or to justify renewed militarism,” he stated.

The Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with envoys from both the US and Iran within the nation to address the second phase of Islamabad discussions, as reported by the ministry on Monday.

Naqvi informed Iranian envoy Reza Amiri Moghadam that “the preparations for the second stage of the Islamabad discussions have been finalized, and secure measures have been put in place for foreign delegations.”

And the blockade?

The U.S. Central Command announced on social media on Monday that, since the start of the blockade preventing ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal regions, U.S. forces have ordered 27 vessels to reverse course or head back to an Iranian port.

As reported by Lloyd’s List on Monday, no fewer than 26 ships linked to Iran’s “shadow fleet” have succeeded in evading the US-imposed embargo.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz during the weekend. The U.S. Navy intercepted and boarded a vessel flying the Iranian flag on Sunday.

American warships

The United States will deploy three aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East in the near future.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is stationed in the Gulf of Oman, aiding the naval embargo mission.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is making its return following a fire in the laundry section during the initial stages of the conflict, which compelled it to depart the region. It is currently located in the northern Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the USS George H.W. Bush is close to Madagascar, heading north towards the Arabian Sea.

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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.

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