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The United States is pressing ahead with plans for new talks with Iran in Islamabad this week, but the fragile diplomatic track faces fresh uncertainty as a two-week ceasefire approaches its deadline.
President Donald Trump is not inclined to prolong the truce beyond Wednesday evening, according to White House officials, sharpening pressure on Tehran to engage before time runs out, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Behind the scenes, regional mediators have been told an Iranian delegation could depart Tuesday, though no formal confirmation has emerged from Tehran.
Trump reiterated a stark threat over the weekend, warning that if no agreement is reached, U.S. strikes could target Iran’s bridges and power infrastructure. The demand sits alongside Washington’s core condition that Iran surrender its uranium stockpile and dismantle its nuclear program.
Iranian officials, however, signal reluctance to negotiate under pressure, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warning Tehran would not engage "under the shadow of threats" and accusing Washington of turning talks into "a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering," as state media raised the prospect of a boycott over excessive U.S. demands.
He also hinted at contingency plans, adding that military options remain on the table if the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire collapses in the coming days.
Washington has enforced a naval blockade on traffic to and from Iranian ports since last week, a step Tehran argues breaches the ceasefire. Iran briefly declared the Strait of Hormuz open before reversing course and restricting movement again, citing unmet U.S. commitments.
Tensions escalated at sea on Monday when U.S. forces intercepted an Iranian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Oman as it attempted to bypass the blockade—the first known use of force tied to Washington’s enforcement measures.
An earlier round of direct talks in Islamabad on April 11–12 produced no meaningful breakthrough, leaving both sides entrenched on key issues.
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