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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday hinted at a possible second round of talks with Iran in Islamabad within days, even as Washington stepped up military pressure by enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports after weekend negotiations failed.
Speaking to the New York Post in a phone interview, Trump said fresh talks could take place in Pakistan “over the next two days,” marking a shift from his earlier position. After initially saying talks were unlikely to return to Pakistan, the NYP said Mr. Trump called back minutes later to say it was “more likely” they would go back to Islamabad.
“It’s more likely, you know why? Because the Field Marshal Asim Munir is doing a great job. He’s fantastic, and therefore it’s more likely that we go back there,” Trump said. “Why should we go to some country that has nothing to do with it?”
The remarks came days after the first round of direct Iran-US dialogue, mediated by Pakistan, ended in Islamabad without an agreement despite nearly 21 hours of talks. While no breakthrough was reached, both sides said the diplomatic channel remained open.
Earlier, US Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the American delegation during the Islamabad talks, also praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Munir for helping to facilitate talks between the United States and Iran. In an interview with Fox News, Vance described both leaders as exceptional hosts and commended their statesmanship.