Lead

US President Donald Trump has said that additional peace talks between the United States and Iran could take place in Pakistan within the next two days, according to a phone interview with the New York Post reported by multiple outlets. Speaking on Tuesday, Trump suggested that Islamabad remained a likely venue for the next round of negotiations, praising Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for his role in mediating the talks.

The remarks come days after the first round of direct US-Iran talks, held in Islamabad over the weekend, ended without an agreement despite more than 20 hours of discussions. A two-week ceasefire, brokered with Pakistani mediation, is set to expire on April 22, and diplomatic efforts are intensifying to arrange a second round before that deadline.

Coverage Comparison

The reports from Al Jazeera, Dawn, The Guardian, and Yonhap News all confirm that Trump, in a phone interview with the New York Post, said talks could resume in Pakistan over the next two days. According to the reports, Trump initially indicated the next round might take place in Europe, but later called back to say it was "more likely" the talks would return to Islamabad. He praised Field Marshal Munir, saying he was "doing a great job" and that "he's fantastic, and therefore it's more likely that we go back there."

Dawn reported that Trump's comments came after the inaugural round of direct Iran-US dialogue, mediated by Pakistan, ended in Islamabad without an agreement despite nearly 21 hours of talks. The Guardian noted that Trump was speaking to a New York Post reporter who had traveled to Islamabad for the first round of talks, and that the president called her back "with an update" saying, "something could be happening over the next two days."

Yonhap News added that in a separate call prior to the interview, Trump indicated the second round would likely happen in Europe. The agency also reported that Trump expressed displeasure with reports that Washington had proposed a 20-year suspension of Iran's nuclear activity during the negotiations, saying, "I've been saying they can't have nuclear weapons. So I don't like the 20 years."

Al Jazeera reported that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is touring the region, including visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, to shore up support for the process and prevent a return to all-out war. The reports also note that the UN Secretary-General has said it is "highly probable" that ceasefire talks will restart.

Key Claims

  • Trump said additional peace talks between the US and Iran "could be happening over the next two days" in Pakistan, according to a phone interview with the New York Post reported by all four outlets.
  • Trump praised Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for his role in mediating the talks, calling him "fantastic" and saying he was "doing a great job."
  • The first round of talks, held in Islamabad on April 11-12, ended without an agreement after approximately 21 hours of negotiations, as reported by Al Jazeera, Dawn, and Yonhap News.
  • A two-week ceasefire, agreed last week following nearly six weeks of fighting, is set to expire on April 22, according to Al Jazeera and Yonhap News.
  • The war has killed more than 4,000 people across the Middle East, overwhelmingly in Iran and Lebanon, as reported by Al Jazeera.
  • Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is touring the region, including visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, to support the negotiation process, as reported by Al Jazeera.
  • The US military has mounted a naval blockade of Iranian ports, as reported by Dawn and The Guardian. Al Jazeera noted that the US military said the blockade has "completely" halted economic trade.
  • Israel and Lebanon have held unprecedented negotiations in Washington, their first direct talks in more than three decades, as reported by The Guardian.
  • Iran is prepared for a resumption of war with the US and Israel, with state media and military leadership signaling opposition to major concessions, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Perspectives

US Administration: President Trump expressed optimism about the resumption of talks in Pakistan, citing the mediation efforts of Pakistan's army chief. He also indicated dissatisfaction with the reported 20-year nuclear suspension demand, clarifying that his position is simply that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons.

Iranian Leadership: Iran's military and security leadership have signaled readiness for a resumption of war and opposition to major concessions, according to Al Jazeera. State media and authorities have organized displays of defiance, including military parades in Tehran. Iran has also warned of withdrawal from the ceasefire if violations continue, as noted in Dawn's report on the talks.

Pakistan's Government: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called the talks a "historic moment" for a lasting settlement and is actively engaging with regional leaders to sustain the peace process, according to Dawn and Al Jazeera. The government is racing to arrange negotiations before the ceasefire expires.