'Strategic mistake': Iranian lawmaker slams Pakistan Summit as diplomatic error

Tehran: A prominent member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Mahmoud Nabavian, characterised the recent diplomatic engagement with the United States in Pakistan as a significant error.

Nabavian shared an excerpt of an interview with SNN TV, in which he asserted that including the nation’s nuclear program as a topic of discussion during the Pakistan summit was a "strategic mistake."

In a statement posted to X, Nabavian reiterated this position. "Putting the nuclear issue on the negotiation table in Pakistan was a strategic mistake," he wrote. According to Iran International, he further claimed that by allowing the topic to be discussed, "the enemy became bolder."

Nabavian detailed that U.S. negotiators demanded the removal and a 20-year freeze of Iran's 60% enriched uranium. He confirmed that Tehran rejected these terms.

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Trump Responds to Diplomatic Pressure

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the stalemate on Thursday, dismissing suggestions that his administration is under pressure to conclude the hostilities. In a post on Truth Social, Trump maintained that any potential agreement would be contingent upon its benefits to American interests.

"With Iran, please be advised that I am possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position. I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn't — The clock is ticking!" the president wrote.

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Trump highlighted the degraded state of the Iranian military as a justification for his patient approach. "Iran's Navy is lying at the bottom of the Sea, their Air Force is demolished, their Anti Aircraft and Radar Weaponry is gone, their leaders are no longer with us, the Blockade is airtight and strong and, from there, it only gets worse — Time is not on their side! A Deal will only be made when it's appropriate and good for the United States of America, our Allies and, in fact, the rest of the World," he added.

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Congressional Scrutiny

Despite the president’s public confidence, the conflict is facing mounting scrutiny on Capitol Hill. According to Politico, Cabinet officials testifying on Wednesday largely declined to provide specific timelines for a reduction in global energy prices.

While public support remains, some Republican lawmakers have reportedly suggested that the 60-day threshold of the conflict could serve as a critical turning point for their continued endorsement of the administration's current strategy.

With inputs from ANI