U.S. President Donald Trump said American negotiators will arrive in Islamabad on Monday for another round of talks with Iran, reviving a diplomatic track that Pakistan has been trying to keep alive after the first round ended without a deal. Trump’s confirmation came as tensions remained high over the Strait of Hormuz and the broader U.S.-Iran standoff.
According to current reports, the new round is expected to follow the first Islamabad talks held on April 11 and 12, which produced no final agreement but left the door open for further negotiations. Pakistan has continued to play the role of intermediary, with Islamabad once again preparing for high-level diplomatic activity.
Trump’s latest statement appears to have removed some of the uncertainty that had surrounded the timing of the next meeting. Earlier reporting had suggested that U.S. and Iranian teams could return to Islamabad this week, but officials had not publicly locked in the schedule. Trump has now said U.S. representatives will be in Pakistan on Monday, with reports indicating the delegation is expected in Islamabad by Monday evening.
The talks are taking place against a fraught backdrop. Iran has kept pressure on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports. That standoff has raised the stakes for the Islamabad channel, because any progress there could help preserve the fragile ceasefire and reduce the risk of a wider regional escalation.
At the same time, major gaps remain between the two sides. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said there is still no agreed framework for renewed negotiations and criticized what he called Washington’s “maximalist” demands. That means Trump’s confirmation of the U.S. team’s travel does not necessarily guarantee a breakthrough once talks begin.
In Islamabad, the expected arrival of foreign delegations has already triggered heavy security preparations. Pakistani authorities have tightened security in the capital and nearby Rawalpindi ahead of the anticipated diplomatic meetings, underscoring how sensitive and politically significant this next round has become.
For now, Trump’s announcement gives the clearest sign yet that diplomacy is not over. The question is whether Monday’s arrival in Islamabad leads to a real narrowing of differences, or simply another difficult round of talks with the biggest disputes still unresolved.
