Trump Rejects Replacing Pakistan as Mediator in Iran Negotiations

WASHINGTON, May 12. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has rejected the idea of changing Pakistan as a mediator in the negotiations with Iran. "No, they're great. The Pakistanis have been great. The Field Marshal (Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir - TASS) and the Prime Minister of Pakistan (Shahbaz Sharif - TASS) have been absolutely great," he told reporters before leaving for a state visit to China, when asked whether he was looking at choosing other mediators in the negotiations with Iran instead of Pakistan. The US news broadcaster CBS News, reported on May 11, citing sources, that Iran may have relocated military and civilian aircraft to Pakistan and Afghanistan to protect them from potential US strikes. Iranian warplanes were stationed at Pakistan's Nur Khan air base south of Islamabad, including an Iranian RC-130, a reconnaissance aircraft converted from the C-130 military transport aircraft. A number of members of the U.S. Congress, including those from the ruling Republican Party, have expressed their dissatisfaction with this. The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. On April 7, US President Donald Trump declared a two-week ceasefire with Iran. According to the Iranian side, as many as 3,375 people died in the US-Israeli attacks on Iran over 40 days of the war. On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad, however both sides later reported that they were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement of the conflict due to a number of contradictions. On April 21, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to extend the ceasefire with Iran. Meanwhile, according to the Iranian state television, Tehran does not recognize Washington’s unilateral ceasefire extension and will act as it deems necessary in its interests.