PAKISTAN moved ahead with preparations today for a new round of talks between the US and Iran, two days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, and as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place.

Over the weekend, the US attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that it said had tried to evade its blockade of Iranian ports.

Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond, and its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Pakistani counterpart that US threats to Iranian ships and ports were “clear signs” of Washington’s disingenuousness, Iran state media reported.

With tensions flaring and the ceasefire due to expire this week, Pakistan was pushing for talks to resume on Tuesday as planned.

Pakistan said today that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held separate meetings in Islamabad with the Iranian ambassador and the acting US ambassador to discuss arrangements.

Two Pakistani officials — speaking to the press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to do so — said today that Iran has expressed a willingness to send a delegation to Islamabad.

US President Donald Trump claimed on Fox News today that a deal with Iran would be signed on Monday, and that Vice-President JD Vance was heading to Islamabad.

However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran today that there were no plans yet to attend the talks with the US.

“We have no plans for the next round of negotiations and no decision has been made in this regard,” Mr Baghaei said.

Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the US but suggested a wide gap remained between the sides.

It was unclear whether either side had shifted stances on issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, its regional proxies and the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the US and Israel launched its surprise attack on Iran on February 28, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to a toll released today by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organisation.