Dawn.com
• US team heading to Islamabad today; Iran also ‘considering’ sending negotiators • Trump extends ceasefire by a day, says further extension ‘highly unlikely’ • Pezeshkian criticises ‘bitter, contradictory’ messages from US; Iran speaker says engaged in talks but also ready for ‘necessary measures’ • PM Shehbaz, European Council president stress continuation of dialogue; Dar speaks to Iranian, Australian counterparts • Xi tells Saudi crown prince ‘normal traffic’ thru Hormuz must be maintained • Moscow hopes talks will continue; Macron denounces Hormuz blockade • Unprecedented security deployment in Islamabad ahead of expected talks ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: With the ceasefire between Iran and the US set to expire tomorrow (Wednesday), a US delegation is expected to head to Islamabad today (Tuesday), while Tehran also appeared open to sending its team for the second round of peace talks. CNN reported that Vice President JD Vance and other top US officials were expected to depart for Islamabad on Tuesday, while an unnamed Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran was considering attending talks following reported moves by Islamabad to end a US blockade of Iran’s ports. However, there was no official announcement from Iran by the time this report went to press. The media and security personnel are seen on Constitution Avenue AFP / Mohammad Asim / Reuters Speaking about the talks, US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire ends on Wednesday evening, and told Bloomberg it would be highly unlikely he would extend the two-week ceasefire if a deal was not reached before the expiry of the ceasefire. The two-week truce was supposed to expire at 8pm (Eastern) on Tuesday, April 21. As per Trump’s latest claim, it will now end on Wednesday evening US time. In a separate post on Truth Social, he defended his war with Iran, saying that he was not persuaded by Israel to attack the country. “The results in Iran will be amazing,” he said, adding, “And if Iran’s new leaders (regime change!) are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future!” In a social media post, President Trump said he believed a nuclear deal the US was currently negotiating with Iran would be better than a 2015 international agreement to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme. On the other hand, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised “unconstructive and contradictory” signals by the US, saying they carried a “bitter message”. “Honouring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue,” he said on X. “Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward [the] US [government] conduct remains, while unconstructive and contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran’s surrender. Iranians do not submit to force.” He also said that his country would try to end the Middle East war with “integrity, wisdom and expediency”, state-run news agency IRNA reported. The police officers divert traffic from a road leading to Serena Hotel, the venue for the expected US-Iran talks.— AFP / Mohammad Asim / Reuters Iran’s foreign ministry said that the US was not serious about pursuing diplomacy, citing what it called “violations” of their two-week ceasefire, AFP reported. Its spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said a US attack on an Iranian cargo ship, the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and delays in implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon were all “clear violations of the ceasefire”. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also said Tehran was continuing talks with the United States but was ready to take “necessary measures” amid rising tensions, TRT World reported. “We do not trust the enemy. At any moment, it may escalate the war,” Ghalibaf said in televised remarks, according to the Mehr news agency. Hormuz blockade Tensions in the Middle East further escalated following the seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman by US forces on Sunday. Trump described the move as enforcement of restrictions on Iranian ports, while Tehran called it “piracy” and responded with increased drone activity near US naval assets in the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. The US has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran lifted and then reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade also featured in a reported conversation between Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and the US president. Reuters reported on Monday that FM Munir told Trump the US blockade on Iranian ports was a hurdle to negotiations and that Trump said he would consider the army chief’s advice. When asked about the report, President Trump told The Hill that FM Munir “didn’t recommend anything on the blockade”. “The blockade is very powerful, very strong. They lose $500 million a day with the blockade up,” he said, referring to Iran. “We control it. They don’t control it.” Diplomacy continues Against this backdrop of distrust, Pakistan continued its diplomacy to pave the way for a peace framework that could end the weeks-long war. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday received a telephone call from António Costa, President of the European Council as both leaders expressed their desire for the continuation of dialogue between the United States and Iran for lasting peace in the region. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to discuss “regional developments and ceasefire-related issues, exchanging views on ongoing coordination”. FM Dar “emphasised the importance of continued dialogue and engagement at the earliest to resolve all pending issues, in order to promote regional peace and stability” in the phone call. He also spoke to Australia’s FM Penny Wong on Monday. Global efforts for peace International powers also stepped up their diplomatic efforts to prevent any flare-up of hostilities, particularly due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, in which he reiterated the need to uphold the ceasefire and stressed the importance of continued diplomatic efforts. The Iranian side confirmed its readiness to do everything in its power to ensure the uninterrupted passage of Russian ships and cargo through the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reported. Hormuz was also the highlight of a telephone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Mr Xi said that “normal traffic” through the vital strait “should be maintained”. “Normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained, this is in the shared interests of regional countries and the international community,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Xi also stressed in the call with the Saudi prince that China “advocates for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire”, CCTV reported. Meanwhile, Russia said it hoped negotiations involving Iran would continue in order to avoid negative consequences for the region and the global economy. While Russia was not acting as a mediator, it was ready to assist if needed, Reuters reported the Kremlin spokesperson as saying. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the United States and Iran to de-escalate amid increased tensions over the weekend over the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported. He also denounced the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as “a mistake on both sides”, AFP reported. Security in Islamabad Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met the US and Iranian envoys to assure them of foolproof security measures. In his meeting with Iran’s Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam, he informed that preparations for the second phase of the Islamabad talks had been completed and foolproof security arrangements had been made for foreign delegations. In a separate meeting with US Ambassador Natalie Baker, he said special security arrangements had been made for all distinguished guests. A security official told Dawn that unprecedented arrangements had been made for the second round of the talks, claiming that, for the time a force of 20,000 additional police officials had been called in from Punjab. “Troops have been deployed everywhere along with Rangers, including Margalla Hills, Nur Khan Airbase, VVIP route, entry and exit points of Islamabad and highly secured red zone, which houses important government buildings, the Parliament House, the Supreme Court and the Diplomatic Enclave.” Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026
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