WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/RIYADH – US government officials said backchannel negotiations with Iran are moving forward productively, firmly rejecting claims that Washington has requested any extension of the fragile ceasefire, calling such reports entirely false.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the next round of high-stakes U.S.–Iran talks is likely to be held in Islamabad, placing Pakistan at the very center of a rapidly unfolding diplomatic crisis. The upcoming negotiations are expected to return to the same location as the previous round, Islamabad, where earlier discussions ended without a breakthrough, she said.
US President Donald Trump told press that talks “could be happening over the next two days” in the Pakistani capital. While no formal date has been confirmed, all diplomatic signals point toward Islamabad hosting the next critical attempt to break the deadlock.
Pakistan’s role has now taken on unprecedented significance. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s simultaneous visit to Saudi Arabia and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s arrival in Iran get global attention, with analysts viewing the coordinated timing as part of a bold two-pronged diplomatic strategy aimed at cooling escalating regional tensions and reviving stalled U.S.–Iran negotiations.
Reports suggest Islamabad is actively coordinating with multiple intermediaries, including Turkey and Egypt, in a broader effort to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table. At the center of these efforts lies the urgent push to extend the precarious ceasefire, first brokered on April 8 after weeks of escalating conflict, and now set to expire on April 22. Despite still technically holding, the truce is described as increasingly fragile amid rising military and political pressure.
Inside Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told a cabinet meeting that “full efforts” are underway to resolve outstanding disputes, emphasizing that while the ceasefire is still holding, the situation remains unstable and unresolved.
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance declared that “the ball is in the Iranian court,” stating that Washington has already presented its “final and best offer” and clearly outlined its red lines after leaving Pakistan-hosted talks. He made the remarks following his departure from negotiations, insisting that responsibility now rests with Tehran to respond.
Behind the scenes, Pakistani officials are reportedly engaged in highly sensitive backchannel diplomacy involving Iran and indirect communication with other international stakeholders.
Iranian state-linked reporting suggests that discussions are not limited to a ceasefire extension but may also include sweeping demands—cessation of hostilities, recognition of Iran’s rights, lifting of sanctions, and compensation for war-related damages—raising the stakes of negotiations to an unprecedented level.
PM Lands in Saudi Arabia, Army Chief Arrives in Iran in Coordinated Push for US–Iran Peace Talks
