Iran-Pakistan relations are cracking up with Tehran starting to publicly doubt the intensions of Asim Munir in the peace talks. Weeks after negotiations between Iran and the US ended in a deadlock, Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian has publicly criticised the decision to hold talks in Pakistan, calling it a “strategic mistake.” Nabavian, a member of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, shared a clip from his interview with SNN TV, where he questioned Tehran’s approach during the discussions. In a post on X, he stated, “Putting the nuclear issue on the negotiation table in Pakistan was a strategic mistake.”
Nabavian said, “In the Pakistan negotiations, we made a strategic mistake. We should not have put the nuclear issue up for negotiation.” According to Iran International, he further added that the move emboldened adversaries: “By doing so, the enemy became bolder.”
US Demands Rejected by Iran
Nabavian also revealed details of the US position during the talks, saying Washington had demanded the removal and long-term restriction of Iran’s 60% enriched nuclear material.
As reported by Iran International, he said the US sought to have the material removed and blocked for 20 years, conditions that Tehran did not accept.
به مذاکره گذاشتن موضوع هستهای در پاکستان، #خطای_راهبردی بود. pic.twitter.com/g2pgA2UXeU
— سیدمحمود نبویان (@nabaviantwt) April 22, 2026
Iran Pushes Back Against Claims of Internal Divisions
Meanwhile, Iranian officials cited in state media rejected assertions by US President Donald Trump that divisions exist within Iran’s leadership.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also addressed the issue in a post on X, accusing “enemy” media of attempting to undermine national unity and security.
“Due to the strange unity created among compatriots, a fracture has occurred in the enemy.
With the practical gratitude for this blessing, cohesion has become even greater and more steel-like, and the enemies will become more wretched and diminished,” he said.
Trump Signals Continued Pressure, Rules Out Nuclear Strike
On Thursday, President Donald Trump said Iran may have slightly increased its weapons capabilities during a recent two-week ceasefire, but asserted that US forces could neutralise them quickly.
Trump also made it clear that the United States would not use nuclear weapons against Iran.
“No, I wouldn’t use it,” he told reporters at the White House. “Why would I use a nuclear weapon when we’ve, in a very conventional way, decimated them without it?”
He further added that nuclear weapons should never be used by any country.
‘No Rush’ to End War as US Military Presence Grows
Trump indicated that Washington is not in a hurry to conclude the ongoing conflict, warning that “the clock is ticking” for Iran. His remarks came as a third US aircraft carrier reached the Middle East, signalling an increased American military presence in the region.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
