US-Iran ceasefire likely to continue despite stalled talks: analyst

A Chinese analyst Sunday predicted that a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran will continue to hold although plans for a second round of peace talks stalled again in Islamabad, Pakistan, a main mediator.

Wang Jin, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at Northwest University in China, cautioned against overestimating the importance of the talks. He argued that the ceasefire itself remains the most critical factor in the Middle East region.

"I think the ceasefire will continue. That would be good news, but uncertainties remain over the Strait of Hormuz, over the possibilities of whether or not to reaching the kind of agreement. When we're talking about the dialogue in Islamabad between the United States and Iran, I don't think we should overestimate its influence," he said.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz, blocking passage by vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.

An April 8 ceasefire was followed by Iran-U.S. talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12. After the negotiations collapsed, the United States imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, preventing ships to and from Iranian ports from transiting.

A new round of negotiations had been expected in Pakistan this week, but Iran declined to attend, citing continued U.S. naval pressure and "excessive demands."

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will no longer send delegations to talk with Iran. "If they (the Iranians) want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us," he said.

"Too much patience and focus has been paid to these [talks]. But then one thing we have already forgotten is that the ceasefire continues. So from my personal point of view, the meeting is just an excuse for the extension, for the continuation of ceasefire. Whether or not the meeting in Islamabad would take place, we should not overestimate its importance. The ceasefire is the most important thing, the determining thing. So when the ceasefire continues, everything will be fine," Wang said.

US-Iran ceasefire likely to continue despite stalled talks: analyst

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