The future of peace talks between Iran and the United States remains unclear as the deadline for the current ceasefire moves closer. Iran is now considering whether to attend talks in Pakistan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday. The possible meeting comes as efforts continue to prevent the two-week truce from collapsing.
On the other hand, US Vice President JD Vance is expected to leave for Islamabad by Tuesday morning (April 21, US time) to restart negotiations with Iran over a possible deal to end the war, three US officials told Axios on Monday night. The visit comes as the two-week ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump nears expiry.
Iran says no final decision yet
Although Iran is reviewing whether to join the talks, no final decision has been made.
Late Monday, Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, criticised US President Donald Trump. Writing on X, he accused Trump of increasing pressure on Tehran through the blockade and ceasefire violations. He said Iran rejects negotiations carried out under threat.
On the other hand, a senior Iranian official said Tehran was “positively reviewing” participation. That marks a shift from earlier comments, when Iranian officials ruled out attending and promised retaliation for recent US actions.
Still, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said continued American actions are making diplomacy harder. He said “continued violations of the ceasefire” by the United States remain a major obstacle to moving forward.
According to Reuters, Araqchi also spoke by phone with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and said Iran was still examining all sides of the issue before deciding what to do next.
Amid this, Pakistan is acting as a mediator and preparing to host the talks in Islamabad. According to the Iranian official, Pakistan has been making positive efforts to help end the US blockade of Iranian ports and create conditions for Iran to take part.
Speaking to Reuters, a Pakistani security source said Field Marshal Asim Munir told Trump directly that the blockade was standing in the way of talks. The source added that Trump promised to consider ending it.
Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7, but did not give an exact ending time. A Pakistani source involved in the discussions said the truce would expire at 8 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday. That would be midnight GMT and 3:30 am Thursday in Iran.
Oil prices rise again
Markets reacted nervously as traders worried the ceasefire could fall apart. Oil prices rose around 5 percent on Monday. The ongoing crisis has already badly affected regional production. Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE together lost nearly 8 million barrels per day of crude output in March.
Trump predicts a fast Nuclear deal
Trump said on social media that he believes his administration can secure a better nuclear agreement than the 2015 deal reached under former President Barack Obama.
Trump withdrew from that agreement in 2018 during his first term. The deal had strongly opposed by many Republicans in Congress and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Even though only a short time remains, Trump predicted quick progress. “I am under no pressure whatsoever, although it will all happen relatively quickly!” he wrote on Truth Social.
The United States has kept its blockade of Iranian ports in place. Iran briefly lifted its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz but later reimposed it. The strait is one of the world’s most important energy routes and normally handles around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply.
Because of the standoff, traffic through the waterway nearly stopped. Shipping data showed only three crossings in 12 hours.
US marines board Iranian ship
The US military said it fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on Sunday after a standoff near Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. US Central Command released a video showing Marines descending by rope from helicopters onto the vessel.
Security sources said the ship may have been carrying goods that could be used for military purposes. Iran said the ship had come from China and called the seizure “armed piracy.”
Iranian state media reported that military forces were ready to respond to what they called “blatant aggression,” but said families of crew members on board limited their options.
Trump warned on Sunday that the US would destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran refused his terms. Iran responded by saying that if its civilian infrastructure is attacked, it would strike power stations and desalination plants in Gulf Arab countries.
Pakistan is still preparing to host the talks despite uncertainty over whether they will happen. Nearly 20,000 security personnel have been deployed across Islamabad, according to government and security officials.