Iranian Officials Say Indirect Talks With U.S. Ended After Trump's Latest Threat
Source: New York Times
April 7, 2026 Updated 2:59 p.m. ET
Iran on Tuesday called off negotiations with the United States hours before President Trump's deadline to reach a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz or face widespread attacks on bridges and electric plants, according to three senior Iranian officials. Still, Iran left open the possibility that Pakistan could serve as a conduit if talks were to resume, and an Israeli official gave a conflicting account, saying talks were making progress.
According to the Iranian officials, widespread attacks across Iran on Tuesday targeting railroads, rail stations, airports, bridges and Kharg Island, the country's energy hub, factored into the decision to end the talks. Abdolreza Davari, a former politician and adviser to Iran's former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said in a telephone interview from Tehran that President Trump's threat had hardened Iranian resolve.
"They want to scare us so the Islamic Republic retreats, but we have nothing to lose," he said. "We will also double down and strike harder." On Monday, Tehran had responded to Washington's initial proposal for ending the conflict with a 10-point counterproposal. Pakistan had called for both sides to accept a 45-day cease-fire to allow space for talks. Now, the possibility of talks appears slim.
Iranian officials and military commanders reacted publicly to Mr. Trump's comments, denouncing them as insulting and ignorant of Iran's pride in its ancient history, which dates back 5,000 years. The Revolutionary Guards Corps, which is leading the war, doubled down, vowing retaliatory strikes across the region if Iran's power plants were attacked.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/world/middleeast/iran-trump-negotiations-talks-threat.html
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