US negotiators will head to Pakistan for a second round of talks on Monday evening as a shaky ceasefire deal with Iran runs out of time. The update from President Donald Trump came even as Tehran rejected “all negotiations” with the United States following the seizure of its cargo ship in international waters. Pakistan continues to act as a mediator between the two countries amid the turbulence — leading talks with both nations and engaging global leaders. Despite its active role, experts have suggested that Washington may have blundered by involving Pakistan.

“Pakistan’s role is malevolent. Rogue Pakistani nuclear scientist AQ Khan helped Iran establish its nuclear program; now Washington rewards Islamabad for the mess their own corruption created…Pakistan is not only among the world’s most antisemitic countries, but it is also one of the most anti-American,” Michael Rubin wrote in an analysis for The Sunday Guardian.

‘Deals that transform victory into defeat’

The senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute opined that Trump had “essentially done the equivalent of hiring a child molester to teach in a kindergarten” by relying on Pakistani mediation. He also flagged Pakistani ‘support’ for the Taliban, and how two-thirds of the population had “regretted” the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

“By relying on Pakistan, however, Trump repeats the mistakes of Afghanistan, Gaza, Syria, and Yemen. No country needs to defeat the United States militarily when the US president allows adversaries to mediate on their behalf to craft deals that transform victory into defeat. The result will not only be humiliation for the United States, but also danger of an arrogant and empowered Islamabad that believes Trump has given it broad immunity to continue its terror,” he argued.

Trump says US negotiators heading back to Pakistan

The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan earlier this month to end the nearly two-month-long conflict in Iran. The talks had concluded without any agreement, and the ceasefire will end on Wednesday unless an extension is announced.

“Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement! Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom. That wasn’t nice, was it? My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations,” he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump has hinted at the possibility of a truce as well as fresh attacks against Tehran.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!” he wrote on Sunday night.