Donald Trump said on Sunday that US marines had taken custody of a vessel that tried to slip past the American blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran said it has no plans to return to talks with Washington. The two sides are again trading hard lines after a weekend that mixed military pressure, diplomacy and threats against civilian infrastructure.
Esmail Baghaei said Tehran has no plans to participate in a new round of talks with the US, accusing Washington of violating the agreement from its implementation and saying Iran cannot forget US attacks during previous diplomatic talks. He called US proposals “unserious” and its demands “unrealistic,” adding that “Tehran does not believe in ultimatums.”
Trump, in an interview with on Sunday, called the US proposal “a very fair and reasonable deal.” He said it would involve reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring Iran does not have enriched uranium, and he vowed to knock out “every single Power Plant” and “every single Bridge” if Iran does not accept.
The latest exchange lands against a war footing that has already shaped this year’s diplomacy. The source says the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February while Iran and the US were in talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme, and it notes that a 12-day war last year also began during negotiations. At the same time, Iran’s internet blackout has entered its 52nd day, with NetBlocks saying the shutdown has stretched to 1224 hours, the public remains cut off from international networks and authorities are still separating users and granting selective access to favored groups.
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is also pushing Europe toward a sharper line elsewhere in the region. He said he will ask the European Union on Tuesday to end its association agreement with Israel, arguing that “The time has come for the EU to break its association agreement with Israel.” Sánchez added that “We have nothing against the people of Israel – quite the contrary. But a government that breaks international law – and thus breaks the values and principles of the EU – cannot be our partner.”
For Iran, the immediate issue is whether the pressure campaign escalates before diplomacy can restart. For Europe, Sánchez’s move signals that Gaza is now testing not just relations with Israel, but the EU’s own rules and credibility.
