Iran’s delegation has not yet left for Islamabad, Pakistan, ahead of a second round of ceasefire talks with the United States, Iranian state television reported. The development renewed uncertainty over whether the talks, widely expected to take place on April 22, will go ahead as planned.
AP and other outlets reported that Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said in a breaking news alert on April 21 (local time) that “no Iranian delegation has arrived in Islamabad so far.” Al Jazeera also reported that key Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, had not departed for Pakistan and remained in Iran.
The reports contrasted with earlier accounts. The Wall Street Journal reported the previous day, citing sources, that Iran had told mediators it would send a delegation to Islamabad on April 21. Reuters also cited a Pakistani source involved in the talks as saying the second round would be held on Wednesday, April 22.
With Iran’s delegation still not en route, questions have resurfaced about whether the second round will be held.
AP said Iran may be engaged in internal debate over how to respond after the U.S. Navy seized an Iranian vessel over the weekend. Axios also reported the previous day, citing a source, that discussions on the second round had stalled as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps urged a hard-line stance toward the United States.
On the U.S. side, Vice President JD Vance, who is leading the American delegation, was expected to leave for Pakistan by late morning on April 21. President Donald Trump told Bloomberg in an interview on April 20 that Vance would depart for Islamabad later that day and that the second round would take place “Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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