The United States and Iran delegations are set to hold a second round of direct negotiations on April 21 (Tuesday) in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to reports. The US side will be led by Vice President JD Vance, while the Iranian delegation will be headed by Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
According to reports, Vice President JD Vance is still in the United States and has not yet departed for Islamabad, and neither has the American delegation; however, they plan to travel to Pakistan soon.
Ahead of the second round of US-Iran peace talks, Vice President JD Vance said on April 14 that deep mistrust between the two nations remains the main obstacle in transforming a fragile ceasefire into a broader agreement, even though both sides are willing to keep negotiating.
“This was a meeting that never happened at that level between the US and the Iranian government in 49 years... So there is a lot of mistrust between Iran and the USA and it can't be solved overnight, but I know that the people sitting across wanted to make a deal... We negotiated in good faith... I feel very good about where we are,” he said.
At a Turning Point USA event in Georgia, Vance also said Trump is seeking a “grand bargain” rather than a limited deal, offering Iran economic prosperity in exchange for abandoning nuclear weapons ambitions and integrating into the global economy.
President Donald Trump Denies Israeli Pressure
US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on April 20, addressing claims that Israel influenced his decision to go to war with Iran and criticising his opponents. In a long post, he outlined the reasons behind his stance, denying external pressure and stressing that the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions were the main factors.
He also responded to speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pro-Israel groups in the US had pushed him into the conflict.
Trump also attacked media outlets, accusing “fake news” and polls of spreading misinformation, and again claimed that the 2020 US presidential election was “rigged.”
