US, Iranian negotiating teams could return to Pakistan for talks this week – report

Negotiating teams from the United States and Iran could return to Pakistan later this week to resume negotiations to end the Iran war, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing Pakistani and Iranian officials. 

The announcement comes just days after the first peace talks ended without any agreement. 

A source told Reuters that a proposal had been sent to both Iran and the U.S. for delegations to return for renewed talks, potentially as early as the end of this week.

“No firm date has been set, with the delegations keeping Friday through Sunday open,” an Iranian official told Reuters, who reported that a senior Pakistani official said the country reached out to Iran, “and we got a positive response that they will be open to a second round of talks.” 

U.S. Vice President JD Vance indicated that Washington has been clear on its red lines, and that “the ball is in Iran’s court,” telling Fox News, “The big question from here on out is whether the Iranians will have enough flexibility, whether the Iranians will accept the critical things that we need to see in order for things to get done.” 

During the interview, Vance said part of the reason for the U.S. abandoning the talks in Pakistan was the lack of authority of the Iranian team to make decisions. 

“What we figured out is that they were unable, I think, the team that was there was unable to cut a deal,” Vance told Fox News’ Bret Baier. “And they had to go back to Tehran, either from the Supreme Leader or somebody else, and actually get approval to the terms that we had set.” 

At the same time, CNN reported that U.S, officials are internally discussing details for a potential second, in-person meeting with Iranian officials before the two-week ceasefire expires on April 21, if Iranian leaders are willing to resume negotiations. 

The Associated Press reported that while Pakistan is pushing to host renewed talks, Geneva, Switzerland, is also being considered as a venue, having previously hosted lower-level discussions between the two sides before the war.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has begun to implement a blockade on ships to and from Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, a move designed to increase pressure on the Iranian regime to reach a deal.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world, because that’s what they’re doing.” 

Trump has called on other nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and ensure it remains open for international shipping, arguing that the U.S. itself does not depend on the waterway. 

“We don’t use this strait,” the president said. “We have our own oil and gas, much more than we need.” 

Trump also indicated that the nuclear issue remains a primary focus for the U.S. government, after it was revealed that the U.S. side demanded the removal of the over 400 kilograms (880 lbs) of highly-enriched uranium, which was targeted by U.S. forces during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025.

According to the CNN report, the White House would prefer not to resume military operations due to their unpopularity at home. However, Iran appears not to have budged from its prewar position, demanding the right to enrich uranium, which it says is intended solely for civilian purposes. 

Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) have begun preparing for the possible resumption of military operations in Iran, assessing that the ongoing negotiations are likely to fail.

At the same time, Israel is set to begin its own talks with Lebanon, where it has been fighting the Hezbollah terror group since early March.