U.S. and Iran Eye Return to Pakistan for Islamabad Talks as Trump Signals ‘Next Two Days’ Window

U.S. President cites Pakistan’s Field Marshal as reason to stick with Islamabad venue; conflicting signals leave timeline fluid

ISLAMABAD — Just two days after marathon negotiations halted without a deal, the United States and Iran are circling back toward the diplomatic table, with President Donald Trump suggesting that a second round of Islamabad Talks could unfold in Pakistan “over the next two days.”

Image credits: Bloomberg

The overture, delivered in a telephone interview with the New York Post on Tuesday, offered the first tangible sign that neither Washington nor Tehran is ready to walk away from the fragile ceasefire brokered by Islamabad less than two weeks ago. But conflicting statements from the president and lingering differences over venue and agenda mean that any resumption remains a high-wire act.

US President Donald Trump told a reporter, referring to the Pakistan's capital:

“You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there. It’s more likely, you know why? Because the Field Marshal is doing a great job.”

The field marshal in question is General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief, who, along with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has emerged as an unlikely but indispensable mediator between two archrivals. Trump praised Munir for his role in ending last year’s Pakistan-India conflict, saying, “He’s fantastic, and therefore it’s more likely that we go back there. Why should we go to some country that has nothing to do with it?”

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The president’s enthusiasm for an Islamabad sequel, however, came after a markedly less committal stance. Roughly an hour earlier, Trump told the same reporter that “I don’t think it’ll be there that we have our meeting. We’ll probably go to another location. We have another location in mind, OK?”

The about-face, or perhaps a change of heart, left diplomats guessing. A White House official later struck a more cautious tone, confirming that “future talks are under discussion, but nothing has been scheduled at this time.”

Still, the mere fact that both sides are talking about talking is enough to keep the ceasefire, set to expire on April 22, on life support. Diplomatic sources told Dawn that intermediaries are working to extend the truce by at least 45 days, with Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt leading the back-channel charge.

What’s on the Table for Islamabad Talks 2.0

The first round of Islamabad Talks, which stretched over 21 hours at Islamabad’s Serena Hotel, ended without a breakthrough but also without a breakdown. The two delegations engaged in direct sessions and expert-level discussions, exchanging written proposals on issues ranging from Iran’s nuclear program to the Strait of Hormuz.

According to people familiar with the matter, the U.S. asked Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years, a demand that Tehran has publicly rejected. “Ending enrichment will not be accepted,” Mohammad Marandi, who accompanied the Iranian delegation, told the Post flatly.

A senior Pakistan's Government official said:

“We have reached out to Iran and we got a positive response that they will be open ‌to a second round of talks.”

The sequencing dilemma remains the Gordian knot. Washington wants Iranian concessions upfront; Tehran demands sanctions relief and guarantees first. That circular deadlock kept the first round from crossing the finish line.

The Hormuz Issue and the Urgency

The urgency is palpable. The ceasefire is precarious. The U.S. has begun enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports, a move Tehran calls a violation of the truce. More than 10,000 U.S. personnel and over a dozen warships are now involved in the operation, Centcom said Tuesday. Six merchant vessels have already been turned back.

Meanwhile, oil prices have soared, the IMF has downgraded global growth forecasts, and the war has inflicted an estimated $270 billion in losses on Iran, according to a government spokesperson.

Against that backdrop, the resumption of Islamabad Talks, whether in Islamabad, a European capital, or elsewhere, is less a luxury than a necessity. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has been on a diplomatic blitz, speaking with his counterparts in China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Britain to build a coalition to sustain the process.

Why Both Parties Want Pakistan to Mediate

For Iran, Islamabad is the preferred venue. Proximity, cultural familiarity, and trust in Pakistan’s mediating role make it a natural choice.

The U.S., Trump’s praise for Munir suggests that personal chemistry may outweigh institutional preference. “The field marshal is doing a great job,” the U.S. President repeated. In the high-stakes world of Middle East diplomacy, personal relationships have proven to move mountains that formal negotiating positions could not.

The Bottom Line

The next 48 hours will be telling. If Trump’s prediction holds, delegations could be back in Islamabad before the week is out. If not, the fragile ceasefire will face its sternest test yet. Either way, the door to diplomacy, however narrowly ajar, has not been slammed shut. And in a conflict that has already claimed hundreds of lives and rattled global energy markets, this alone is news.