Officials Consider Second Round of Direct U.S.-Iran Talks Amid 2026 War

By Miranda Jeyaretnam

*Published: 2026-04-14*

Negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials over the weekend in Islamabad did not produce an agreement to end the 2026 U.S.-Iran war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 following Iran's deadly crackdown on nationwide protests in January. Officials are now discussing a second round of direct talks, according to multiple reports.

President Donald Trump and his administration indicated openness to resuming in-person discussions once Iran addresses U.S. demands, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Such talks could occur before the current two-week cease-fire expires on April 21, or the cease-fire could be extended, the sources added.

Pakistan proposed hosting a second round of in-person meetings in Islamabad, Pakistani officials told the Associated Press. Turkey, which participated as an intermediary in prior weeks of indirect negotiations, has also offered to facilitate resolution of differences between the two sides, a regional diplomatic source told CNN.

The U.S. has increased pressure on Iran through a naval blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports via the Strait of Hormuz. This narrow waterway carries about one-fifth of global oil trade. Iran initially closed the Strait following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, disrupting shipments and contributing to early surges in oil and gas prices as well as supply issues for goods like fertilizer. Iran had militarized the area at the war's outset, limiting transits, before the U.S. imposed its blockade.

"They’d like to make a deal very badly," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday, adding that Iran had contacted the U.S. that morning.

White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told TIME on Monday that after 21 hours of talks, Iranian negotiators prioritized continuing uranium enrichment over reaching a deal. She noted that Trump has ordered the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and is keeping other military options available. Wales was responding to reports, including from CNN, suggesting the administration is considering limited strikes on Iran alongside the blockade.

"Anyone who thinks that they know what President Trump will do next is purely speculating," Wales said. TIME sought additional comment from the White House.

The blockade has heightened concerns about potential renewed hostilities. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated it would view U.S. military vessels entering the Strait as a cease-fire violation. On Truth Social Monday, Trump warned that any Iranian ships approaching the blockade would be "immediately ELIMINATED," referencing the administration's prior operations against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Iran has expressed interest in retaining control of the Strait after the war concludes, potentially to collect tolls as reparations, according to prior statements from Iranian officials. Reuters reported early Tuesday, citing shipping data from LSEG, MarineTraffic, and Kpler, that a Chinese-flagged tanker under U.S. sanctions transited the Strait despite the blockade.

Ongoing restrictions in the Strait—initially imposed by Iran and now enforced by the U.S. blockade—have driven up global oil and gas prices and created bottlenecks for fertilizer and other commodities. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warned Monday that these disruptions risk contributing to a global food supply crisis.

The United Kingdom announced it will not participate in the U.S. naval blockade. Earlier in the war, NATO allies declined Trump's request for military assistance to secure the Strait, despite his public appeals.

A fully reopened Strait of Hormuz represents a key U.S. objective, Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the recent Islamabad talks, told Fox News on Monday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the sides were close to agreement until encountering what he described as U.S. "maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade."

Israel's intensified military operations in Lebanon since March 2, which Lebanese officials say have killed more than 2,000 people, have complicated prospects for a broader U.S.-Iran truce. Iran previously insisted any cease-fire include Lebanon and other fronts, a condition rejected by the U.S. and Israel. Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors are scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to discuss a possible pause in fighting or full cease-fire, according to Lebanon’s Culture Minister Ghassan Salame in comments to Al Jazeera. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reportedly advised Lebanon to cancel the meeting, deeming it futile.

Nuclear Program Demands Remain Central Hurdle

Disagreements over Iran's nuclear activities continue to impede progress. The U.S. has demanded Iran halt its program, a recurring issue in prior talks, including those disrupted by Israeli strikes on Iran last June and negotiations just before the February 28 U.S.-Israeli attacks.

The January 2026 protests in Iran—described by human rights groups as the largest since 1979—were met with a crackdown by Iranian security forces that reportedly killed thousands of civilians, according to U.S. and international assessments. This prompted a U.S. military buildup in the region and Trump's threats, leading to the strikes that initiated the war.

Following those strikes, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases across all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Israeli military sites—resulting in scores of casualties—and civilian infrastructure such as Gulf ports and airports, per U.S. and allied reports. These actions escalated the conflict and led to cease-fire discussions.

On the nuclear front, U.S. officials proposed a 20-year suspension of Iranian uranium enrichment during Saturday's talks in Islamabad, which Iranian negotiators countered with a five-year suspension offer that the U.S. rejected, according to the New York Times. U.S. negotiators also seek the dismantling of Iran's major enrichment facilities and the surrender of more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which U.S. officials claim Iran buried underground during last year's U.S. bombing.

Earlier, in March, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News that the U.S. had offered a 10-year halt to Iranian enrichment in exchange for the U.S. funding Iran's nuclear fuel needs, a proposal Iran turned down. Iranian officials have cited long-standing mistrust, particularly since Trump's 2018 withdrawal from the Obama-era nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.

Russia has reiterated an offer to accept Iran's enriched uranium stockpile as part of any agreement, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Vance told Fox News that Iranian negotiators made some concessions during the Islamabad talks "in our direction" but not sufficiently. He noted they needed to consult Tehran for approval on any final deal.

"There really is, I think, a grand deal to be had here, but it’s up to the Iranians, I think, to take the next step," Vance said.

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