Trump says US negotiators to head to Pakistan for Iran talks

xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoUS President Donald Trump speaks after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on April 18, 2026 [AFP]By Usaid Siddiqui and APPublished On 19 Apr 202619 Apr 2026|Updated: 14 minutes agoUpdated: 14 minutes agoPresident Donald Trump has announced that US negotiators will travel to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Monday for talks aimed at ending the US-Israel war on Iran.

In a post on social media on Sunday, Trump didn’t detail which officials the US would send to a second round of in-person talks with Iranian negotiators in Islamabad. Last weekend’s talks, at which Vice President JD Vance led the US delegation, ended without a deal.

In his post, Trump accused Iran of violating a two-week ceasefire that is due to expire on Wednesday by opening fire on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz. The US president threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran if it doesn’t accept the terms of the deal being offered by the US.

“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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

There was no immediate comment from Tehran regarding Trump’s claim of a new round of talks.

Iran’s Tasnim ⁠news agency ⁠reported that there is currently no ⁠decision by Iran ⁠to send a negotiating delegation ‌to Pakistan “as long as there is a naval ⁠blockade” on Iranian ports.

Iran’s foreign ministry said that the US naval blockade is a violation of the ceasefire as well as an “unlawful and criminal” act.

“The United States’ so-called ‘blockade’ of Iran’s ports or coastline is not only a violation of Pakistani-mediated ceasefire but also both unlawful and criminal,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei wrote in a post on X.

“Moreover, by deliberately inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it amounts to war crime and crime against humanity,” Baqaei added.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC) said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed again, less than 24 hours after it was reopened. It said that it would remain so until the US lifts its naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports.

The US military said it has forced 23 ships to turn around near the strait since its blockade began. US Central Command said forces were continuing to enforce the blockade “against ships entering of exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas”.

The Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran’s nuclear programme remain key sticking points in negotiations.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said that while there was “significant progress made” during the last talks, a framework of understanding had to be agreed before they continue. He also described the US’s demands on its nuclear programme as “maximalist”

The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Saturday night that “there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain”, adding: “We are still far from the final discussion”.

Trump told reporters at the White House that the US was “taking a tough stand”, and that they had “very good conversations going on”. He accused Iran of getting “a little cute” on the subject of the strait, adding that the US would not be “blackmailed”.

The president told ABC News on Sunday that Vance will not lead the next round of talks, following reports that he would, saying this was “only because of security”.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke on the phone on Sunday. The Pakistan Foreign Ministry said they discussed “the need for continued dialogue and engagement as essential to resolving the current issues as soon as possible”. The Iranian and Pakistani presidents are expected to speak later today.