US and Iranian delegations expected in Islamabad for new talks under threat of escalation
Donald Trump has threatened Tehran with overwhelming military force, saying “lots of bombs [will] start going off” if no deal is reached Published 21 Apr, 2026 10:04 | Updated 21 Apr, 2026 13:01 © Getty Images / theasis Iranian and US negotiators are set to arrive in Pakistan for a second round of talks as a shaky ceasefire is due to expire. According to sources cited by both US and Iranian media, the delegations are due to arrive simultaneously in Islamabad on Tuesday evening. Vice President J.D. Vance will reportedly lead the US side, joined by President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Iran’s team will be headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. A two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan earlier this month is set to expire on Wednesday, after a first round of talks in Islamabad produced no breakthrough and Trump moved ahead with a US military blockade of Iranian ports – a step Tehran has labeled a violation of the truce. On Monday, Trump resumed his trademark saber-rattling, telling PBS that “lots of bombs [will] start going off” if no deal is reached and making clear he has no intention of extending the ceasefire. He also insisted the blockade will remain in place until Tehran folds. Iran has struck a defiant tone. Ghalibaf warned Tehran is ready to “reveal new cards on the battlefield,” rejecting any negotiations conducted “under the shadow of threats.” He accused Trump of trying to turn talks into “a table of surrender,” adding Iran has spent the past two weeks preparing new military options. President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed the message, calling US conduct “non-constructive and contradictory” and insisting Iranians “will not bow to coercion.” Despite the rhetoric, Axios reported that Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators pushed Tehran to attend, with Iran’s team reportedly receiving a green light from the supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, late on Monday. Here are the latest developments: Follow RT’s live coverage below Show latestShow oldest 21 April 2026 16:50 GMT No final decision has been made on whether Tehran will attend talks in Pakistan, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has said, according to IRNA. He added that the uncertainty stems not from Iranian indecision but from “contradictory messages, inconsistent behavior, and unacceptable actions” by the US. Non‑Iranian traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reached a post‑war high last week, Lloyd’s List has reported. According to a post on X, 23 of 71 ship transits between April 13 and 19 were “unrelated to Iranian trade,” while 43 were tied to Iranian ports or cargo. Non-Iranian traffic through the Strait of Hormuz hit a post‑war high last week with 23 transits. Of the 71 vessels moving through the strait between April 13 and 19, 23 were unrelated to Iranian trade and 43 were tied to Iranian ports or cargo pic.twitter.com/tBoB1ZE0wV — Lloyd's List (@LloydsList) April 21, 2026
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EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has announced new Iran-related sanctions to target those “responsible for breaches to freedom of navigation.” She told a press conference that Brussels is working with Gulf partners on possible joint measures, adding that “none of us want to see a nuclear-armed Iran.” Tehran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful.
No delegation from Iran has been sent to Pakistan, a diplomatic source has told the IRNA news agency, noting that neither official nor unofficial information has been received regarding any Iranian involvement in the negotiations.
The source added that security considerations are a top priority for any potential delegation traveling to Pakistan.
White House sources have told CNN that US Vice President J.D. Vance is set to attend a policy meeting in Washington on Tuesday and is apparently yet to depart for Islamabad, adding to uncertainty over whether US-Iran talks will take place.
Vance was expected to take part in the negotiations and was reportedly scheduled to travel to Pakistan in the morning.
Iran has yet to issue a formal response on whether it will attend the next round of talks with the US in Islamabad, Pakistani Minister of Information Attaullah Tara has said. He noted that Pakistan is still pursuing “the path of diplomacy and dialogue.”
Iran’s football team is still preparing for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the US, but will participate only if its safety is ensured, the country’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali has said.
“We must be prepared,” the minister stressed, noting that it is still possible that the team may not travel to the event. He added that the final decision on participation will be made by the Iranian government and the country’s Supreme National Security Council based on the evolving security and political conditions.
Last month, Iran was in talks about relocating its matches to Mexico but its request appears to have been denied, as it is still scheduled to play all of its matches on US soil.
Russia’s ambassador to Tehran, Aleksey Dedov, has accused the US and Israel of committing war crimes after visiting a hospital in the Iranian capital damaged in recent strikes. Speaking to RT during a tour of affected areas with other foreign diplomats, Dedov described the destruction as “a horrible thing to see,” calling it “evidence of an inhumane approach” and “very clearly a war crime.” According to RT correspondent Saman Kojouri, the hospital was hit without warning while patients and staff were inside, though the number of casualties remains unclear.
Iran’s armed forces are ready to deliver an “immediate and decisive response” to any renewed attacks, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters commander Ali Abdollahi has said, as cited by Tasnim.
READ MORE: Iran promises to ‘reveal new cards on the battlefield’
He claimed Tehran holds the military upper hand, including over the Strait of Hormuz, and would not allow Trump to “create false narratives.” Iran briefly reopened the strait on Friday but shut it again to “hostile” countries a day after the US refused to lift its counter-blockade.
Iran will not engage in talks while the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains in place, Tehran’s envoy to Beijing, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, has told RT, accusing Washington of undermining negotiations with threats and pressure.
“What they are showing is actually the closure of the Hormuz Strait… and they are threatening Iran militarily,” he said, adding the US approach is “affecting the atmosphere of the talks” and signals it seeks “not dialogue, but surrender.”
Fazli stressed Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and compliant with IAEA rules, while calling uranium enrichment a “red line,” and accused Washington of previously breaking promises when talks were progressing.
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21 April 2026
09:36 GMT
Preparations for the US-Iran talks have been underway for days in Pakistan. According to media reports, parts of Islamabad are under lockdown, with tens of thousands of security personnel deployed. Pakistani security sources earlier told Al Jazeera the talks are expected before Friday, citing the arrival of two US C-17 aircraft and major hotels being cleared of guests.
Media center ahead of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026. © Getty Images / Muhammad Reza/Anadolu
- 09:39 GMT
Details of any potential deal between the US and Iran remain vague, with Tehran’s nuclear program still the main sticking point.
Trump is demanding Tehran dismantle its infrastructure and hand over enriched uranium – proposals Iran has dismissed as “non-starters.” Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Trump has no justification to “deprive Iran of its nuclear rights.”
Trump has also demanded the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran insists on maintaining control over the critical shipping route.
- 09:40 GMT
The global energy crunch sparked by the US-Israeli war on Iran is the worst on record, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol. He told France Inter radio the disruption goes beyond past crises due to its scale and overlap.
“The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia. This is indeed the biggest crisis in history,” he stated.
The US-Israeli bombing campaign prompted Iran to restrict passage through the Strait of Hormuz – a route for about 20% of global oil, disrupting supply chains and driving prices higher. Markets briefly stabilized earlier this month on hopes the waterway would reopen during talks in Islamabad, but prices rebounded after negotiations collapsed.
- 09:41 GMT
MP Ali Khodrian, member of Iran’s National Security Commission, has claimed associates of Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have indicated he does not intend to take part in talks with the US in Islamabad.
READ MORE: Trump lied seven times in one hour – Iran’s top negotiator
Khodrian added that Tehran believes negotiations without a clear agenda bring no results and are instead being used by Washington as “a tool for managing energy markets.”
- 10:26 GMT
The US has expressed confidence that peace talks with Iran will go ahead in Pakistan, with a source telling Reuters that negotiations are “on track for tomorrow” and could even see Trump join in person or virtually if a deal is signed.
US Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to travel to Pakistan for the talks later on Tuesday, according to Axios. The Wall Street Journal reports that Iran is “positively reviewing” participation but has yet to make a final decision.
- 10:28 GMT
Iranian MP Mohammad Reza Mohseni Sani, a member of the parliament’s National Security Commission, has cast doubt on the planned talks, saying they are not acceptable in the “current situation.”
Speaking to Mehr news agency, he accused the US of being “overly demanding” and pursuing talks for domestic political gain, adding that “given the current conditions, recent aggressions, and the history” of past negotiations, the next round is likely “off the table.”
- 10:28 GMT
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has signaled skepticism toward Washington, citing “mistrust” and “contradictory signals from American officials,” as efforts continue to launch a second round of talks.
“Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue,” he wrote on X, adding that longstanding distrust of US conduct persists and that Washington’s recent rhetoric sends “a bitter message.” He added that the US wants Iran to surrender, insisting that “Iranians do not submit to force.”
Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue. Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward U.S. gov conduct remains, while unconstructive & contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran's surrender. Iranians do not submit to force.
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 20, 2026
- 10:38 GMT
Iran Air will resume domestic flights on Wednesday, ending a 50-day suspension caused by the war, Tasnim news agency reports. The first route to reopen will be Tehran-Mashhad, with return flights scheduled the same day.
- 10:46 GMT
US Central Command has published footage showing Marines boarding the Iranian cargo vessel M/V Touska after it was disabled by the USS Spruance in the Gulf of Oman.
U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/mFxI5RzYCS
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026
CENTCOM claimed that since the start of the blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, US forces have turned back or redirected 27 vessels.
Since the commencement of the blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, U.S. forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port. pic.twitter.com/G8dl96wN4H
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026
- 11:28 GMT
Gulf countries are in daily contact with various parties involved in the Middle East crisis, according to Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari.
“The crisis is ours, and the crisis of our region. That’s why we have direct contacts,” he told a press briefing, adding that Doha is betting on the upcoming US-Iran talks to yield results. “We do not want to talk about the failure of the negotiations… the entire world is supporting these negotiations, including us. And we are supporting our brothers in Pakistan.”
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