Iran said on Monday (April 20, 2026) it had not yet made a decision about joining a new round of peace talks with the United States in Pakistan even as U.S. President Donald Trump said an American delegation headed by Vice President J.D. Vance would travel to Islamabad.
“So far we have not made any decision regarding the next round of talks... Iran will make the necessary decisions about the future path with careful consideration of its national interests,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in Tehran, according to Tasnim News Agency.
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“From the early days of the ceasefire, we were faced with the U.S.’s bad faith, contradictory statements, followed by a naval blockade,” Mr. Baghaei said. Even after an understanding was reached, Iran encountered “maritime actions” in the Strait of Hormuz, he said, referring to a U.S. attack on an Iran-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday (April 19, 2026).
In an interview with The New York Post, Mr. Trump downplayed Iran’s comment about not deciding yet on participating the Islamabad talks, saying he was willing to meet Iranian leaders if a breakthrough is reached. “We are supposed to have talks. So I would assume at this point nobody is playing games,” he said, adding that Vice-President Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law, would take part in talks. Mr. Trump had said on Sunday that the U.S. delegation would be in Islamabad on Monday, but the White House is yet to confirm when talks are scheduled to be held.
