Impressions of Donald Trump, presence of J.D. Vance… What we know about the resumption of negotiations between Isr

Before the resumption of negotiations, the American president estimated offering Iran a “reasonable deal”, promising to destroy energy infrastructures and bridges in case of failure. Tehran has not confirmed its participation in new talks.

Three days before the ceasefire expires, Donald Trump announced the sending of an American delegation to Pakistan on Monday, April 20, to restart peace talks with Iran. “My representatives are going to Islamabad. (…) They will be there tomorrow night, for negotiations,” wrote the American president on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, April 19. The presence of Iranian negotiators has not been confirmed yet.

J.D. Vance will lead the American delegation

Vice President J.D. Vance will once again lead the American delegation, as confirmed by a White House official to AFP. The Vice President will be present alongside the usual envoys of Donald Trump: special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Initially, the President of the United States assured ABC that his Vice President would not go to Islamabad, citing security concerns.

Security in Islamabad has been visibly reinforced as peace talks resume. Pakistani authorities have announced road closures and traffic restrictions in the capital and neighboring city Rawalpindi. AFP journalists observed armed guards and checkpoints near the most secure hotels in Islamabad, including the Marriott and Serena, where the last round of talks took place.

Tehran’s participation still uncertain

Will the Iranian regime participate in new negotiations with Washington in Pakistan? Tehran has not provided a clear answer yet. According to news agencies Fars and Tasnim, citing anonymous sources, the regime has not made a decision yet. The official Irna agency indicates that there is “no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations,” mentioning naval blockade and “unreasonable demands” from Washington.

Donald Trump hopes for a quick “deal”

Before the resumption of negotiations, Donald Trump estimated offering Iran a “reasonable deal.” He claimed that the main points of contention, which led to the failure of the initial talks in Islamabad on April 12, had been resolved, particularly regarding the nuclear aspect, at the heart of the disputes between the two countries. According to him, Iran agreed to hand over its highly enriched uranium, which Tehran denied.

On the Iranian side, the powerful President of the Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of the negotiation team, warned that a peace agreement with the United States is still far away. “We are far from closing the debate,” he said. “We have made progress, but there are still many differences and some fundamental issues remain unresolved,” he added.

If Iran were to refuse to sign an agreement, “the United States would destroy all power plants and bridges in Iran. GAME OVER, BEING NICE!” warned Donald Trump on his Truth Social network. The agreement “will happen”, “one way or another,” reiterated the American president to ABC.

Situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains volatile

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump also accused Tehran of violating the ceasefire, which expires on Wednesday, April 22, by launching attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting a French and a British ship, according to him.

While the bombings have stopped, the blockade persists in the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz. Faced with the continued American blockade of its ports since April 13, Iran announced on Saturday that it would resume “strict control,” reversing its decision from the day before to reopen the maritime passage through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas trade normally passes.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz “is the only card the Iranians have, but they are losing it and they know it,” declared Chris Wright, the American Energy Minister, on CNN. “They will no longer be able to sell their production abroad via the Strait of Hormuz and the financial and banking sanctions are hurting them,” he added, referring to the blockade of Iranian ports imposed by the United States.