US President Donald Trump has indicated that negotiations between Washington and Tehran could resume within days, suggesting that Pakistan is emerging as a preferred venue for continued diplomacy.
Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said the United States was “more inclined” to return to Pakistan for the next round of discussions, crediting Pakistan’s military leadership for its role in facilitating dialogue. “Something could happen in the next couple of days… we are more inclined to go there,” he was quoted as saying, adding that Pakistan made more sense as a venue given its active involvement.
His remarks come amid reports that US and Iranian negotiating teams may reconvene in Islamabad later this week, following an initial round of talks held over the weekend in the Pakistani capital. The discussions marked the most direct engagement between the two sides since 1979, according to officials familiar with the process.
Although the weekend talks ended without a breakthrough, they also avoided collapse, leaving room for continued engagement. Pakistani sources cited by Reuters said Islamabad had been in contact with both delegations and was working to finalise timing for a second round, potentially over the coming weekend.
A senior Pakistani official told Reuters that Iran had signalled openness to continuing dialogue, saying there was “a positive response” from Tehran regarding another session. Separately, reporting in Dawn suggested that informal intermediaries, including Turkish and Egyptian channels, were assisting efforts to bring both sides back to the table.
Within Pakistan, officials have framed the initiative as part of broader diplomatic engagement efforts. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the federal cabinet that “full efforts” were underway to de-escalate tensions and sustain the ceasefire, which he said was still holding but remained fragile.
He later briefed President Asif Ali Zardari on ongoing diplomatic contacts, including planned visits to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye aimed at reinforcing regional peace efforts, according to a statement from the presidency.
The ceasefire, initially brokered on 8 April after weeks of hostilities, is scheduled to expire on 22 April. While it remains formally in place, officials acknowledge growing pressure on its durability.
Tensions have been further heightened by reports that Washington has moved towards tightening maritime restrictions around Iranian ports. Tehran has warned that such measures could be seen as a violation of the ceasefire framework, raising concerns about a possible breakdown in the fragile diplomatic process.