Iran stresses dialogue, criticizes Washington's "double standards" in negotiations
By Xinhua Published: Apr 23, 2026 08:27 AM
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that Iran has always welcomed resolving issues through dialogue and agreement and will continue to do so.
In a post on social media platform X, he said breaches of commitments, blockades and threats constitute the main obstacles to genuine negotiations, adding that "world sees your endless hypocritical rhetoric and contradiction between claims and actions," in reference to the United States.
Also on Wednesday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a comprehensive ceasefire would only be meaningful if it is not accompanied by maritime blockades or what he described as "holding the global economy hostage," and if Israel halts its military actions on all fronts.
He added that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would be impossible if there were serious violations of a ceasefire.
Earlier in the day, Axios, citing U.S. officials, reported that U.S. President Donald Trump is giving Tehran three to five days to unite behind a "coherent counter-offer," or the ceasefire extended on Tuesday ends.
"It is not going to be open-ended," the officials were quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Trump told the New York Post that it's "possible" fresh peace talks between the United States and Iran could take place as soon as Friday.
Delegations from Iran and the United States had been expected to hold the second round of their peace talks in Pakistan this week. The two countries held their first round of talks on April 11-12 in Islamabad, and the negotiation failed to reach a consensus.