- By Raju Kumar
- Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:45 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Islamabad US-Iran Talks 2.0: US President Donald Trump on Monday expressed his desire to hold direct talks with Iranian leaders amid suspense over the participation of Tehran in the Islamabad US-Iran talks 2.0, saying he is willing to have a conversation with them.
"Vice President JD Vance and the US delegation are set to land in Pakistan within hours for talks on Iran," Trump told the New York Post in an interview on Monday, adding that he would be willing to meet with Iranian leaders himself if progress is made.
ALSO READ: Trump Screamed At Aides For Hours, Was Kept Out Of Room During Rescue Of US Airmen From Iran: Report
Earlier, Trump, who keeps changing his stance on the hostility in the Middle East, announced on Sunday that the US negotiators will be in Islamabad on Monday for the second round of talks with Iran, as Pakistan beefed up the security in and around the national capital.
The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad aimed at ending their conflict, but the talks concluded without any agreement.
Trump's announcement of the fresh round of talks raised hopes of extending a two-week ceasefire that expires by Wednesday.
"My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan. They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He, however, renewed threats to destroy bridges and power plants in Iran if Tehran fails to reach a peace deal.
Suspense Over Iran's Participation Continues
On the other side, Iran rejected the second round of negotiation talks in Islamabad, citing 'excessive demands' and 'ceasefire breach' by the US. Rejecting the claims that it has agreed to participate in a second round of peace talks, Tehran said that it would not attend the talks. Al Jazeera reported, citing the IRNA news agency, which criticised what it described as "Washington's excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire".
"The published news about the second round of negotiations in Islamabad is not true", it said, adding that "The news published by the United States is their media game and part of the 'blame game' to pressure Iran."
Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the evolving West Asia tensions on Sunday, according to an X post of Sharif. Pakistan is hopeful that Tehran will consider its request and attend the meeting, which people hope end the war.