A fresh round of talks between the United States and Iran could resume within the next 36 to 72 hours, with US President Donald Trump indicating negotiations may restart as early as Friday. The possible timeline has surfaced through diplomatic backchannels supported by mediation efforts from Pakistan.

According to sources cited by the New York Post, recent engagements have shown encouraging signs, raising expectations that negotiations could begin within the next few days. Responding to a question about whether the talks might take place in Pakistan’s capital, Trump said briefly: "It’s possible! President DJT."

Even so, uncertainty continues to surround the process. While Washington has extended the existing ceasefire and paused direct military action, Tehran has not confirmed whether it will take part in the proposed discussions.

The outreach follows Trump’s earlier move to prolong the ceasefire, giving Iran additional time to submit a unified negotiating proposal. In a post, Trump said, "I have 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."

At the same time, signals from Washington have remained mixed. The Donald Trump administration has suggested that only a limited window may be available. However, according to a source cited by news agency Reuters, no clear timeline has been set for how long the ceasefire will continue.

Iran holds back on fresh talks

Iran has so far shown little inclination to rejoin negotiations. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran has not yet decided whether it will participate in the proposed talks, while accusing Washington of undermining earlier diplomatic efforts.

"We entered the negotiations in good faith and with seriousness, but the negotiating party (the United States) has shown disregard and lack of good faith," he said.

"Iran has not yet decided whether it will participate in the new round of peace negotiations with the United States scheduled for later this week," he added.

Iran’s leadership has also linked any progress in talks to broader developments on the ground, particularly the ongoing maritime blockade. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a post on X, said meaningful progress would depend on strict adherence to a full ceasefire.

"A complete ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by the maritime blockade and the hostage-taking of the world’s economy, and if the Zionist warmongering across all fronts is halted; reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible with such a flagrant breach of the ceasefire," he wrote.

Published on: Apr 23, 2026 8:06 AM IST