Iranian Foreign Minister Heads To Pakistan But Not For U.S. Talks, Media Says

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is heading to Pakistan on Friday, but not for talks with the United States, Iranian state media IRNA reported.

The outlet said that Araghchi will begin a “regional tour” that will also include Russia and Oman. “The purpose of this trip is bilateral consultations, discussions on current regional developments, and the latest situation of the war imposed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran,” the agency said.

Iran has so far refused to engage in a new round of negotiations with the U.S., largely citing its continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a reason.

However, some reports have claimed that there is internal dissent in Tehran about how to proceed with the war.

The Jerusalem post detailed that officials in Israel and the U.S. believe Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is not actually ruling Iran, with control being exerted by the revolutionary guard (IRGC).

President Donald Trump appeared to give a similar view, saying in a social media post on Thursday that Iranian officials are “having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is.”

“They just don’t know! The infighting is between the “Hardliners,” who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY! We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is ‘Sealed up Tight,’ until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!” he added.

In the meantime, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the U.S. is not “anxious for a deal,” adding that Tehran has an “open window to choose wisely” as the ceasefire continues to hold.

“At the negotiating table, all they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways, or instead they can watch the regime’s fragile economic state collapse under the unrelenting pressure of American power,” Hegseth told Press at the Pentagon.He added that the blockade of Iranian ports at the Strait of Hormuz will continue for “as long as it takes.”

Iran, on its end, has continued laying mines on the key waterway, according to Axios. After learning of the development, Trump ordered the military to “shoot and kill” Iranian boats deploying mines in the key waterway with “no hesitation.”