The US and Iran are weighing a return to the negotiating table after their talks in Islamabad failed to make a breakthrough towards ending their six-week war.
The diplomatic overture comes as the US naval blockade tightens its grip on Iranian ports in a bid to pressure Tehran to change course before the two-week ceasefire expires.
New Round of Talks
Multiple US media outlets reported that both the US and Iran are considering a new round of negotiations to reach a deal that ends the war before the temporary ceasefire expires on April 21.
Two US officials and person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press (AP) that Washington and Tehran are in discussions for holding a new in-person round of talks. Another diplomat from a mediating country said that the two countries have agreed to it.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran wanted a deal. “We have been called by the other side” and “they want to work a deal,” he told reporters.
Commenting on Trump’s remarks, a US official told Reuters that Washington and Tehran have maintained active engagement, making progress toward reaching an agreement.
The CNN also reported, citing sources familiar with the talks, that Trump remains open to resuming in-person negotiations soon if Iran shows readiness to accede to his demands.
Mediators Push
Mediator countries – Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye – are ramping up efforts to bridge the gaps between the US and Iran and enable a new round of negotiations within the coming days, Axios reported citing a regional source and a US official.
“We are not in a complete deadlock. The door is not closed yet. Both sides are bargaining. It’s a bazaar,” the regional source noted.
The US official agreed, saying that a deal is within reach if Tehran shows more flexibility towards the Islamabad proposal.
Meanwhile, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, who took part in the negotiations, described the Islamabad talks as the “foundation for a peace process that, if trust and will are strengthened, can create a sustainable framework for the interests of all parties,” he posted on X.
According to the sources, the Turkish and Egyptian Foreign Ministers spoke separately on Sunday to their Pakistani counterpart, then to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The 21-hour marathon talks between the US and Iran, which took place Saturday in Islamabad, were facilitated by several mediators, including Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, and Oman.
Potential Venues
Geneva and Islamabad have emerged as potential locations for a new round of US-Iran talks, reported CNN, citing a source familiar with the matter. Geneva hosted a previous round of talks, after which the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran.
Two Pakistani officials told the AP that Islamabad offered to host a second round of talks in the coming days, adding that the proposal would depend on whether the parties request a different location.
One of the officials noted that the first round was part of a larger diplomatic process and not merely a one-off effort.
US Vice President JD Vance led the American delegation at Islamabad, which also included Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Meanwhile, the Iranian delegation was headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf, and included Araghchi and other senior officials.
Main Gaps
During the Islamabad talks, significant gaps remained between both sides. A White House official told Reuters that the demands a total dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, including an end to all enrichment and the surrender of existing stockpiles. It also demands a regional security framework that ends funding for proxies and ensures toll-free passage through Hormuz.
Conversely, Iranian sources indicated that Tehran wants a permanent ceasefire, the full lifting of sanctions, guarantees of no future strikes against its territories and its regional allies, and the unfettered right to enrichment and control over Hormuz.
Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and the amount of frozen assets Tehran wants access to emerged as key sticking points, according to Reuters and Axios.
However, Vance signaled progress in talks, leaving the door open for further diplomacy. In an interview with Fox News, Vance said that the Islamabad talks “did make some progress.”
“They moved in our direction,” he said, suggesting that Iranian negotiators were “unable to cut a deal” and needed to get approval from others in Tehran.
“There really is, I think, a grand deal to be had here. But, it’s up to the Iranians, I think, to take the next step,” Vance noted.
Naval Blockade
On Monday, Trump enforced a naval blockade against Iranian vessels and any ships that paid tolls to Tehran to transit through Hormuz. He also warned that any Iranian “fast-attack” ships that went near the blockade would be eliminated.
Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that the blockade “will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.”
In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed to retaliate, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the blockade would have global consequences.
A US official told Axios that the blockade is part of the ongoing negotiations, suggesting that Trump wants to prevent Iran from using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the talks.
In light of this, the White House claimed that the naval blockade will pressure Iran to seek a deal. “President Trump, Vice President Vance and the negotiating team have made the US red lines very clear,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“The Iranians desperation for a deal will only increase with President Trump’s highly effective Naval blockade now in effect,” she added.
