Dubai, April 29: Talks between Iran and the United States on ending the war seemed stalled on Wednesday, despite US President Donald Trump earlier claiming Iran had informed his administration that it was in a “State of Collapse”.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticised Iran’s handling of nuclear negotiations, saying it has failed to move toward a deal.
“Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Pakistan said its weekly oil import bill has surged by about 167 per cent due to soaring global energy prices. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday the weekly oil import bill had risen from USD 300 million before the Middle East conflict to USD 800 million.
In a similar message, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the US-Israel war, combined with retaliation from Iran such as choking the Strait of Hormuz, is costing the European Union almost 500 million euros (USD 600 million) a day, raising prices at the pumps and fears of a jet fuel shortage within weeks.
Trump says Iran better get smart soon
President Trump criticised Iran’s handling of nuclear negotiations, saying it has failed to move toward a deal.
“Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump’s post featured an AI-generated image of himself holding a weapon amid explosions with the caption “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY.”
Tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program rose before the war broke out, with Trump repeatedly vowing to ensure the country can’t build a nuclear weapon.
Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it enriched uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels.
Iran’s enriched uranium likely at Isfahan: IAEA
The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year’s US-Israeli war, the head of the UN nuclear agency said
Rafael Grossi said in an interview on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information”.
IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel last June launched a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.
The UN nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran’s highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since,” Grossi said.
Pakistan continuing efforts to ease US-Iran tensions: PM
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday his government is continuing efforts to help ease tensions between the United States and Iran.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting in Islamabad, he said a “marathon session” was held in the capital during an initial round of direct talks between the two sides on April 11, leading to progress on a ceasefire that remains in place.
He said Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan over the weekend during the ceasefire, where another extended round of talks took place between Iran and Pakistan.
Araghchi later travelled to Oman, returned briefly, and then departed for Russia, Sharif said.
Sharif said before leaving for Moscow, Araghchi spoke to him by phone and “assured me that after consulting with his leadership, he would respond as soon as possible”.
He did not specify what Araghchi would respond to, but Pakistan has said it is seeking to host a second round of talks between the United States and Iran.
Hegseth face Congress for first time since Iran war began
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing questioning from lawmakers for the first time since President Trump launched the war against Iran, which Democrats have contested as a costly conflict of choice waged without congressional approval.
Wednesday’s hearing before the House Armed Services Committee is being held to discuss the administration’s 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.
Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, are expected to stress the need for more drones, missile defence systems and warships.
Democrats are likely to pivot to the ballooning costs of the Iran war, huge drawdown of critical US munitions and bombing of a school that killed children. Some lawmakers also may question how prepared the military was to shoot down swarms of Iranian drones, some of which penetrated US defence and killed or injured American troops.
As for Republicans, they have said they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership, for now. (AP)
