The United States and Iran are expected to return to Pakistan for another round of ceasefire talks, according to a report by The Associated Press. Pakistan-led mediators received confirmation that the top negotiators, US Vice President JD Vance and Iranโs parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, will arrive in Islamabad early Wednesday, the officials told AP on Tuesday.ย
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to brief the media.
A 14-day ceasefire between the two sides is set to expire on Wednesday (April 22), adding urgency to the proposed talks.
No Iranian delegation in Pakistan
However, neither Washington nor Tehran has publicly confirmed the schedule. Iranian state television has also denied that any official has already reached Pakistanโs capital.
Iran’s state broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has stated that no Iranian diplomatic delegation has travelled to Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, dismissing reports of any such movement.ย
The statement said, “No Iranian diplomatic delegation–be it a primary or secondary team, or an initial or follow-up mission–has travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan so far.”ย
‘Iran has violated ceasefire multiple times’: Trump
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Iran of repeatedly violating the ceasefire with the US in the war in the Middle East, as both countries deliberate over a possible new round of peace negotiations.
“Iran has Violated the Cease Fire numerous times!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, referring to the two-week truce set to expire by Wednesday, after which the Middle East potentially could plunge back into open conflict.
Since the war started, fighting has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and more than 2,290 in Lebanon. Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 USย service members throughout the region have been killed.
We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats: Iranย
Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf accused the US leader of attempting to turn the “table of negotiation” into a “table of surrender.”
Posting on X, Ghalibaf asserted that Iran would not be coerced, stating, “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
Despite the escalating tension and Trump’s hints that the current ceasefire may not be extended, there are signs of potential diplomatic movement behind the scenes.
According to a report by Axios, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly given the “green light” for the Iranian negotiating team to travel to Islamabad.
The move suggests a possible breakthrough for a fresh round of high-stakes talks scheduled for Wednesday, even as the two nations continue to trade threats ahead of the looming ceasefire deadline.
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