Donald Trump said Tuesday that US-Iranian negotiations could resume within the next two days in Islamabad, signaling a willingness to restart diplomacy after weekend talks collapsed. The president, speaking with a reporter who had traveled to Pakistan for the initial round of ceasefire negotiations, offered an unexpected callback with what he described as an update on the stalled discussions.
"You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there," Trump told the reporter. He also praised Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, calling him a "great job" mediator in the process.
Munir occupies a pivotal position in Pakistan's power structure and maintains strong relationships across multiple sides. Trump has previously called him his "favourite field marshal," and Munir has cultivated working relationships with Iran's Revolutionary Guards as well.
The optimistic tone contrasts sharply with the weekend's outcome. Talks that ran for 21 hours ended Sunday morning when JD Vance walked out, citing Iran's refusal to commit definitively to abandoning nuclear weapons development. Trump subsequently imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response.
The underlying ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remains fragile and temporary, with roughly a week left before it expires. The timing of Trump's suggested resumption would place new negotiations squarely within that window.
Vance, defending the administration's position on Fox News Monday night, doubled down on the impasse while also weighing into Trump's separate feud with Pope Leo. The vice president told the pontiff to focus on ecclesiastical matters rather than commenting on US foreign policy, saying it would be best for the Vatican to "stick to matters of morality" while the White House handled "American public policy."
The escalating tensions have broader economic implications. The International Monetary Fund warned that further escalation of the Iran conflict could trigger a global recession, with the UK facing disproportionate impact among G7 nations.
The diplomatic friction has also strained Trump's relationships with traditional allies. He criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday for declining to join US military action against Iran, telling Italy's Corriere della Sera that he was "shocked at her" and questioned whether she possessed the courage he once attributed to her.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's mixed signals on Iran feel like the product of a fractured inner circle, but the 48-hour window he just opened suggests even he recognizes that a blockade and bluster won't solve this."
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