Mr. Trump announced that he was about to ‘sign a deal with Iran’

US President Donald Trump told reporters today Fox News that the Iran nuclear deal will be “signed today” in Pakistan. It is unclear what agreement and time frame Mr. Trump is talking about, as negotiations between the US and Iran are expected to begin as early as April 22. Tehran has also not confirmed that it will participate in dialogue with Washington.

CNN On the same day, citing well-informed sources, US Vice President JD Vance plans to leave for Pakistan on April 21 to attend the second round of negotiations with Iran. The possibility of the event taking place is still very slim, as both sides continuously use harsh words aimed at the other.

The White House confirmed that the US delegation will soon leave for negotiations, but the specific time is unknown.

US President Trump also said he was thinking about the ceasefire agreement with Iran ending on the evening of April 22, but said it was “very unlikely” to extend it further if an agreement was not reached. “I will not rush to sign a bad deal. We have more than enough time,” he said.

When asked if he predicted fighting would resume immediately if the two sides did not reach an agreement, Mr. Trump said “absolutely.”

President Masoud Pezeshkian on the same day affirmed that Iran still maintains “deep historical distrust” of the US government, and criticized “contradictory, unconstructive signals” from US officials.

“Respecting commitments is the foundation of meaningful dialogue. Iran will not submit to force,” he wrote on X.

Since the outbreak of hostilities on February 28, the US and Iran have only conducted one 21-hour negotiation session in Islamabad and failed to reach an agreement, although preparations for further dialogue continue.

The possibility of holding a second round of negotiations is becoming fragile, after the US destroyer USS Spruance on April 19 shelled and captured the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman, on the grounds that this vehicle was trying to bypass the blockade.

The Iranian military criticized this as “an act of piracy and a violation of the ceasefire agreement”, announcing it would soon respond. Tehran also said it “has not decided” whether to continue negotiations with Washington or not.