A second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran is currently under discussion, but nothing formal has been scheduled yet, a White House official told CNBC on Tuesday.
The confirmation that the Trump administration is considering further talks with Tehran follows reports that peace talks, which stalled days ago, could resume before the fragile two-week ceasefire expires.
Citing Pakistani and Iranian officials, Reuters reported early Tuesday morning that officials from both countries may return to Pakistan to resume talks.
“The next round of talks could take place later this week or early next week. But nothing has been finalized at this point,” an Iranian embassy official in Islamabad told Reuters.
CNN and NBC News also reported that direct negotiations could resume soon. The Iranian embassy in Islamabad did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on this report.
Talks between U.S. and Iranian negotiators in Islamabad over the weekend ended without an agreement, as key questions about Iran’s nuclear ambitions remained unresolved and both sides accused the other of shifting the goalposts.
Jared Kushner (left) and Special Envoy for the Peace Mission Steve Witkoff listen to Vice President J.D. Vance speak during a press conference following talks with representatives of Pakistan and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 12, 2026.
Jacqueline Martin | Getty Images
Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the U.S. delegation with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, said Monday that the next diplomatic action should be taken by Iran.
“I really think the ball is in Iran’s court, whether we have further talks or whether we end up reaching an agreement, because we have a lot of things on the table,” Vance told Fox News.
Iranian officials suggested the US acted in bad faith after the failed talks in Islamabad. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Alaghushi told X-Post that the Iranian team faces “extremism, moving goalposts, and blockades,” while Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the United States had failed to earn Iran’s trust.
President Donald Trump responded to the deal by announcing a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade route that normally carries 20% of the world’s oil.
US Central Command later specified that the blockade applies to “vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.”
The move comes as traffic in the strait remains low, even though President Trump declared on April 7 that full reopening of the waterway was contingent on a two-week cease-fire agreement with Iran.
“We cannot allow nations to blackmail and blackmail the world, because that’s what they’re doing,” President Trump said Monday at the White House.
The ceasefire is currently scheduled to expire next April 21st.
Despite rising tensions, the latest reports and other signs are raising hopes that a deal may be on the horizon.
Oil prices, which had been moving on initial reports that talks might resume, fell on Tuesday morning, but stocks rose.
This is developing news. Please check back for the latest information.
