The United States and Iran could meet again as soon as next week, once more in Islamabad, for a new round of negotiations aimed at ending the war that began last February. Sky News reports this, citing a similar scoop from the Wall Street Journal, describing an “agreement in principle” for a new meeting, although the date and logistical details remain to be worked out.
There is reportedly also an “agreement in principle” to extend the ceasefire between the two countries, the Associated Press says, citing regional sources. Mediators are said to be closer to prolonging the fragile truce before it expires on April 21, in an effort to prevent a new escalation.
Specifically, the United States and Iran are considering a two-week extension of the truce, several international outlets report, including al-Arabiya relaying a Bloomberg report. According to a person familiar with the matter cited by the agency, mediators are working to start technical talks aimed at resolving the most sensitive issues in the confrontation, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the issue of Iran’s nuclear enrichment.
The United States has not formally accepted an extension of the ceasefire with Iran, sources told Axios, but “contacts are ongoing to reach an agreement” that is reportedly “getting closer.” Behind the scenes, the negotiating team of the Trump administration – led by Vice President JD Vance – continues to work via phone contacts and confidential channels, while pressure on Tehran increases. U.S. sources told the outlet that the naval blockade and the economic crisis are pushing Iran toward a deal: “Iran has no money. It is bankrupt. We know it and they know we know it,” a U.S. administration official said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s army chief of staff, Asim Munir, is in Tehran to deliver a new message from the United States and to plan a second round of talks between the parties, Press TV reports. Munir was received on arrival at Tehran airport by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who last Saturday led Iran’s delegation to the talks in Islamabad together with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. “Since Sunday, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, many messages have been exchanged (with the U.S., ed.) via Pakistan,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.
In an unexpected sign of hope, U.S. President Trump said today that the war is “almost over” and that it is “more than possible that it ends within April.”
Tehran’s threat, the pressure and the U.S. move
While it remains unclear whether the two sides will return to the negotiating table, the Iranian military has renewed its threat to block commercial traffic in the Red Sea if the U.S. continues a naval blockade against its ports, warning that such actions could jeopardize the already fragile ceasefire in effect since April 8.
According to General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, maintaining restrictions and creating “insecurity for Iranian merchant ships and tankers” would be “the prelude” to breaking the truce.
In response, the general – whose remarks were broadcast by state TV – said Tehran could retaliate by blocking maritime traffic along the region’s main routes. “The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic will not permit any exports or imports in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, or the Red Sea,” he warned.
To increase pressure on Iran, U.S. officials told the Washington Post that about 10,000 troops and several warships are being sent to the Middle East. According to those officials, the deployment is at the core of the new strategy of the Trump administration, strengthening its regional presence while negotiations with Tehran remain uncertain. The deployment – which includes aircraft carriers and Marine units – adds to the roughly 50,000 U.S. service members already operating in the area, giving Washington more options if talks fail, including possible strikes or even ground operations.
Among the forces arriving, the newspaper writes, are roughly 6,000 personnel aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and its strike group, and about 4,200 troops from the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The military buildup coincides with the expiration of the two-week truce and complements units already in the region, including the carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford. Military sources say the aim is to provide field commanders with greater operational flexibility should the confrontation with Tehran intensify.
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