Trump announces delegation
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday 19 April 2026 that American representatives were heading to Islamabad and would be there “tomorrow evening for negotiations”, pointing to a second round of direct talks with Iran hosted by Pakistan.
“My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow [Monday] evening, for Negotiations,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He accused Iran of a “total violation” of the two countries’ ceasefire over firing near the Strait of Hormuz and renewed a threat to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants unless Tehran accepted his terms.
An advance team from the United States had already arrived in Islamabad, sources said, as the capital and the adjoining garrison city of Rawalpindi were placed under a security lockdown.
Iran reports progress but ‘far’ from deal
In a televised address the same day, Iran’s lead negotiator and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said there had been “progress” in the negotiations but signalled that a final peace deal was “far”.
“We made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain,” Ghalibaf said, adding that the sides were “still far from the final discussion”.
Ceasefire deadline and Hormuz stand-off
The second round was expected before a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire, which took effect on 8 April, was due to expire on 22 April. The truce had paused hostilities that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February.
Washington and Tehran remained at odds over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran closed the waterway again on Saturday, saying it would not reopen it until the United States ended its blockade of Iranian ports.
The first round of direct talks, held in Islamabad on 11-12 April and led by US Vice President JD Vance and Ghalibaf, ended without agreement but without a breakdown, as reported in the account of those talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who spoke by telephone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for about 45 minutes on Sunday, said Pakistan would remain committed to advancing regional peace and security.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 2026-04-19.
- The News — US delegation to arrive in Pakistan today for Iran peace talks: TrumpPublished 19 April 2026 · Primary: Trump's Truth Social post, the arrival of the US advance team and the security lockdown.
- Dawn — In 45-minute phone call with Pezeshkian, PM Shehbaz reaffirms Pakistan's commitment to advancing regional peacePublished 19 April 2026 · The Shehbaz-Pezeshkian call, Ghalibaf's remarks and the ceasefire timeline.
- Pakistan Today — Trump says US representatives heading to IslamabadPublished 19 April 2026 · Background on the first round, the Strait of Hormuz stand-off and the 22 April ceasefire deadline.
