Truce on edge after Iranian ship seizure

There is cautious optimism that delegations from both the US and Iran would travel to Islamabad for a second round of talks this week, even though the seizure of an Iranian ship by the US near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's retaliation have cast doubts over the feasibility of another deal.

Two Pakistani officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday that Iranian authorities have expressed their willingness to send a delegation for the talks, The Associated Press reported.

The officials refused to share details because of security considerations, and also urged the media to avoid speculation about the timing of the talks, saying the process remains fluid.

On Sunday, United States President Donald Trump said negotiators from Washington would reach Islamabad on Monday for another round of talks with Tehran, but Iranian officials did not directly respond to his announcement.

Instead, Iran offered a new death toll for the war, with its forensic chief saying on Monday that at least 3,375 people have been killed since the conflict started on Feb 28.

Trump said on Sunday that a US Navy guided missile destroyer targeted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship for trying to evade a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. It marked the first such interception since the US imposed its blockade on Iranian ports last week.

Iran's joint military command called the US seizure an act of "armed piracy" and, in retaliation, it sent drones to attack US military vessels.

Esmail Baghaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, accused the US of lacking seriousness about diplomatic efforts, highlighting that the US naval blockade and its seizure of the cargo ship were flagrant violations of the two-week ceasefire deal.

While Baghaei said Iran has no "immediate plans" to hold fresh talks with the US, he stopped short of ruling out future participation.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefed Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghaddam on arrangements for the upcoming talks during their meeting on Monday in Islamabad, according to the AP.

Naqvi was part of a delegation that visited Tehran last week to advance the peace process. A ministry statement said both sides stressed the need for a sustainable resolution through diplomatic channels to reduce regional tensions. The meeting came hours after Naqvi briefed US Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker at the US embassy.

Oil prices climbed more than 5 percent on Monday as the standoff between Iran and the US prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude, the international standard, traded above $95 a barrel, up more than 30 percent since the end of February.

"The security of the Strait of Hormuz is not free," Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref wrote on social media. "The choice is clear: Either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone."

Stability in global fuel prices depends on a guaranteed and lasting end to the economic and military pressure against Iran and its allies, he said.

To prepare for the US-Iran talks, Pakistan has placed Islamabad on high security alert. Nearly 20,000 police, paramilitary and army personnel have been deployed to secure the talks venue, police sources said.

The Strait of Hormuz is just one of the major obstacles ahead. According to statements from both sides and media reports, the nuclear issue remains another key point of contention.

Trump said last week that the US would work with Iran to remove Iranian enriched uranium. Citing informed sources, CNN reported that Washington is prepared to unfreeze Iranian assets worth $20 billion in exchange for Tehran handing over its stockpile, a proposal rejected by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh as "impossible".

Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told Al Jazeera that military action alone would not open Hormuz, nor would it fix the US' problem with Iran's enriched uranium. The idea of a grand bargain in the short term is unattainable, he added.

"The best you can do is some kind of agreement of a basic framework," he said. "And then you have to go and quickly build on it. It will take at least months, if not years."