Will there be a resumption of negotiations between Iran and the United States?

Published on April 21, 2026 at 15:49, updated on April 21, 2026 at 18:00.

Donald Trump has postponed the deadline for the end of the ceasefire by one day. Both governments are issuing threats and casting doubt on their planned meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The center of Islamabad is empty on the morning of Tuesday, April 21. Main roads are blocked off, and shops are closed in a wide radius. The Pakistani capital is ready to host American and Iranian delegations for new talks on the eve of the ceasefire expiration. However, there is no certainty that the two sides will meet. In Tehran, residents are optimistic. “Yes, it will happen because we cannot remain uncertain. Things cannot continue like this, and Iran will emerge victorious,” said residents. “I don’t think the war should resume. War is costly for both sides,” they explain.

In the event that negotiations resume, the Iranian judiciary chief is not optimistic about the outcome. “Any American action against one of our ships will surely provoke a response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. They are the ones who violated the ceasefire,” said Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the Iranian judiciary chief.

On the American side, Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to come, as he did ten days ago. One of the main sticking points remains enriched uranium for nuclear purposes. The U.S. has lowered its demands, now asking for a moratorium of fifteen years instead of complete abandonment. “Trump, as president, has been weakened by both his team, likely not fully united, and by countries that are suffering the consequences of this military action, including the Gulf countries,” said Marc Lavergne, a research director at CNRS.

The negotiations are expected to resume, signaled by American military and official planes landing near Islamabad since Monday, April 20.