According to political analyst Vladimir Shapovalov, Iran’s refusal to take part in talks with the United States in Pakistan looks entirely consistent with Teheran’s previously stated position.

He said the Iranian authorities had laid out clear conditions for continuing contacts with Washington from the very beginning. In his account, the United States was expected to abandon aggressive actions, acts of war, and any blockade of the Iranian coast.

Shapovalov argued that the reasons cited by Iran for refusing another round of talks — including the blockade of its coastline and the seizure of an Iranian vessel by the Americans — point not to any contradiction in Teheran’s stance, but to a firm and consistent line.

As for the United States, he said American officials were trying to generate as much informational noise as possible and mislead the international public by portraying the situation as if there were a split inside the Iranian leadership.

Shapovalov added that Donald Trump had initially said the Iranian side would definitely take part in the talks. But once it became clear that the negotiations had not begun, the rhetoric coming from the White House, in his view, shifted.