President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that a United States delegation will travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday for a second round of negotiations with Iran, as a fragile ceasefire approaches its expiration deadline of Wednesday, April 22.
The White House confirmed that Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of talks last weekend, would head the delegation alongside Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and former Middle East adviser.
In his Truth Social announcement, Trump repeated threats against Iranian infrastructure, warnings that have drawn widespread criticism and warnings of potential war crimes violations. He said the US could target power generation and transport infrastructure in Iran if negotiations collapse.
Iran did not immediately confirm its participation in the second round. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said that while significant progress was made during the previous talks, a framework of understanding must be agreed before discussions continue, and described US demands on the nuclear programme as “maximalist.”
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation in the first round, said on Saturday night that many gaps remain and that the two sides are still far from a final discussion.
The central disputes include the future of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global oil and gas supplies. US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Saturday that American forces were continuing to enforce a naval blockade, with 23 ships having complied with orders to turn around since it began. The US military is also preparing to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial vessels in the coming days.
The two-week ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan on April 8, 2026, following the first round of direct US-Iran talks in Islamabad, and Pakistani authorities have since been referring to the engagement as part of an ongoing “Islamabad process.”
Security measures have been tightened across Islamabad ahead of the delegation’s expected arrival, with Pakistani authorities restricting movement near the site of last week’s discussions.
Whether Tehran sends its own negotiators to meet the US team remained unclear as of Sunday afternoon, with both sides publicly far apart on the core issues and the ceasefire window narrowing rapidly.
