Talks to end the Iran war could resume in Pakistan within the next two days, U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday, after the collapse of weekend negotiations led Washington to impose a blockade on Iranian ports.
Officials from Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf also said negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran could return to Pakistan later this week, although no date had been set.
Trump was quoted by the New York Post as saying: “You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there.”
Later on Tuesday at an event in Georgia, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Trump wanted to make a “grand bargain” with Iran but there was a lot of mistrust between the two countries.
Blockade and Failed Talks
While the U.S. blockade drew angry rhetoric from Iran, signs that diplomatic engagement might continue helped to calm oil markets, pushing benchmark prices below $100 per barrel.
Talks in Islamabad last weekend did not yield an agreement, raising doubts over the survival of a two-week ceasefire that still has a week to run.
According to sources, backchannel talks since the weekend had produced progress in closing that gap, bringing the two sides closer to a deal that could be put forward at a new round of talks.
It remains unclear what kind of nuclear deal the U.S. and Iran could quickly reach, given the complexity of the 2015 agreement and the need for strict monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran also wants international sanctions removed, which the U.S. could not pledge by itself.
IMF Cuts Growth Outlook
U.S. Central Command said no ships breached its blockade in the first 24 hours, with six vessels turning back, though traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely unaffected, with at least eight ships crossing the waterway on Tuesday.
The war has clouded the outlook for global energy security and the supply of goods that rely on petroleum.
The International Monetary Fund warned the global economy could near recession if the conflict worsens and oil stays above $100, while the International Energy Agency cut supply and demand forecasts.
United Kingdom and France said they would not join the blockade, while China called it “dangerous and irresponsible” drawing criticism from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Israel-Lebanon Talks Conclude
Peace efforts remain strained as Israel continues strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, with disputes over whether the ceasefire applies.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted a meeting, their first high-level contact in decades, between envoys for Israel and Lebanon, with both sides agreeing to continue discussions despite deep differences.
Meanwhile, domestic pressure in United States is rising, as public support for strikes on Iran slips even as the fragile ceasefire holds.
(With inputs from Reuters)
