U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with Iran could resume in Pakistan within the next two days, following the collapse of talks over the weekend.
Speaking on Tuesday, Trump suggested that diplomatic engagement could restart soon despite rising tensions. The comments came after the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports following the breakdown of earlier negotiations.
“You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
Officials from Pakistan, Iran and several Gulf states also said negotiating teams from both countries might return to Pakistan later this week. However, a senior Iranian source said no specific date had been confirmed.
At an event in the U.S. state of Georgia, Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. administration was seeking a broad diplomatic agreement with Tehran but acknowledged deep mistrust between the two sides.
“President Trump wants to make a grand bargain with Iran,” Vance said. “But you are not going to solve that problem overnight.”
Despite strong rhetoric from Tehran over the U.S. blockade, signs that diplomacy could continue helped calm global oil markets. Benchmark crude prices fell below $100 per barrel following the developments.
Since the conflict began on February 28, Iran has effectively closed the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which a large portion of the world’s oil and gas supply normally passes.
The fighting has resulted in roughly 5,000 deaths so far.
Negotiations held last weekend in Islamabad failed to produce an agreement, casting uncertainty over a two-week ceasefire that still has about a week remaining.
Iran’s nuclear programme remains a major sticking point in the negotiations. The United States has proposed a 20-year suspension of all Iranian nuclear activities, while Tehran has suggested a shorter halt lasting between three and five years, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Washington has also pushed for any enriched nuclear material to be removed from Iran as part of a potential agreement.
One source involved in the negotiations in Pakistan said backchannel discussions since the weekend have helped narrow the gap between the two sides, raising hopes that a new round of talks could produce a framework for a deal.
However, analysts say reaching a comprehensive nuclear agreement will be difficult. The earlier Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was complex and required international monitoring, including oversight from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran is also seeking the removal of international sanctions, a demand that the United States alone cannot guarantee.
Diplomatic efforts in Pakistan are now seen as a crucial opportunity to prevent further escalation and possibly lay the groundwork for a broader agreement.
