Iran accuses United States of sabotaging peace talks

Iran on Saturday accused the United States of sabotaging negotiations to end the war with "excessive demands," while a change in Donald Trump's schedule fueled speculation about a possible resumption of hostilities.

In a conversation with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi complained about the United States' "contradictory positions and repeated excessive demands," according to Tasnim and Fars news agencies.

These factors "are disrupting the negotiations process led under Pakistan’s auspices," Araghchi said. "Despite its deep mistrust of the United States, the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in this diplomatic process with a sense of responsibility and utmost seriousness, and is striving to reach a reasonable and fair result," he added.

Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday as part of his country's mediation efforts. According to the Irna news agency, he talked late into the night from Friday to Saturday with Araghchi about the "latest efforts and diplomatic initiatives aimed at preventing a new escalation."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghai, said earlier that deep divisions remain between Tehran and Washington. Issues such as ending the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the American blockade of Iranian ports remain "unresolved," as does the nuclear issue, according to him.

Qatar, which has been heavily affected by the war launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28, and other countries are also pursuing alternative mediation efforts. Tehran confirmed a Qatari delegation's visit on Friday.

Meanwhile, U.S. media reported that Washington is considering new strikes against Tehran. According to CBS News, American troops are preparing for possible bombings over the weekend, which lasts through Monday in the United States. On Friday, Donald Trump gathered his closest advisers to discuss the war, Axios reported.

Trump adjusts his schedule

The American president also announced that he would not be attending his eldest son Don Jr.'s wedding in the Bahamas this weekend and that he needed to remain in Washington rather than visit one of his golf courses for "matters of state." However, in a speech near New York on Friday, he stated that Iranian leaders "desperately want to reach a deal."

Since a fragile truce came into effect on April 8 after more than a month of conflict, only one unsuccessful negotiation session has taken place, on April 11 in Islamabad between U.S. and Iranian representatives. Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran with a resumption of fighting, without following through.

The U.S. president is seeking a way out of this unpopular war at home, which has severely disrupted the global economy due to Tehran's blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes.

For its part, the Iranian government has reiterated that it would "never give in to intimidation," and the Revolutionary Guard, the Islamic Republic’s ideological army, has threatened to expand the war "well beyond the region" in the event of a new attack.

In Lebanon, Israeli strikes have continued despite the cease-fire in effect between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah since mid-April. On Friday, ten people were killed in a series of bombings in the south of the country, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. During the night from Friday to Saturday, two more strikes hit buildings in the city of Sour, shortly after a warning issued by the Israeli army.