US-Iran peace talks in doubt as Trump signals no truce extension
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the country would not “accept negotiations under the shadow of threats.”
President Donald Trump signaled he is unlikely to extend a two-week ceasefire with Iran that's set to expire in two days, while Iran has yet to confirm it will participate in talks to end a war that's engulfed the Middle East and upended global trade, reports Bloomberg.
Trump said in an interview yesterday (20 April) that the ceasefire expires on Wednesday evening in Washington and he is "not going to be rushed into making a bad deal."
He added that the Strait of Hormuz would remain blocked for now, saying, "I'm not opening it until a deal is signed."
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Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the country would not "accept negotiations under the shadow of threats."
The standoff highlights uncertainty over the upcoming talks, even after Trump said negotiations could begin as early as Tuesday. He has threatened strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure if diplomacy fails. The pause in hostilities has largely held for two weeks after a conflict that killed thousands and disrupted global energy supplies.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to travel to Pakistan for the talks, joined by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, according to Bloomberg. Trump said discussions could begin "either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning."
"There's going to be a meeting. They want a meeting, and they should want a meeting. And it can work out well," Trump said.
The conflict has already extended beyond the four-to-six-week timeline initially set by Trump, with the president repeatedly suggesting that it was nearing a conclusion.
However, he has also urged Americans to remain patient, pointing to prolonged US wars in the past.
"Vietnam lasted how many decades, right? Vietnam lasted years. Afghanistan lasted years. They all lasted years," Trump said. He added that he would not be rushed into "making a bad deal" by what he called treasonous senators and congresspeople.
Trump has sought to ease domestic concerns by insisting that fuel prices will decline quickly once the war ends and that the United States is not heading into a prolonged military quagmire.
Despite that assurance, political pressure is mounting in the US, with opinion polls indicating that a majority of Americans disapprove of the ongoing conflict.
The war has also complicated Trump's earlier campaign pledges to keep the US out of foreign conflicts and bring down consumer prices.
Analysts note that the situation continues to evolve amid ongoing diplomatic uncertainty and competing signals from Washington and Tehran.
