The Wall Street Journal reported April 20, citing multiple sources, that Iran told mediators it would send a negotiating team to Pakistan on April 21.
Iran’s government has not officially confirmed whether it will dispatch a delegation. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said, “For now, there is no plan for the next talks,” adding that Iran “will not accept deadlines or ultimatums” to protect its national interests. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also voiced deep distrust of the United States, saying Iran “will not yield to force.”
As Iran sends mixed signals, attention has turned to U.S. moves that could affect whether talks go ahead. Axios reported that Vice President JD Vance planned to depart for Pakistan by the morning of April 21, accompanied by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Some reports suggested he could travel late on April 20. Axios said Vance had remained in the United States until Iran responded, but would leave after receiving a “green light” from Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
With President Trump extending a ceasefire deadline by one day — from April 21 to the evening of April 22 — expectations for a deal have risen. After surging a day earlier, international oil prices were down about 1% to 2% in Asian trading.
Separately, the United States plans to host a second ambassador-level meeting between Israel and Lebanon at the State Department on April 23. It would be the first follow-up talks since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached after weeks of clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. In their first meeting, the two sides agreed to begin direct negotiations toward a comprehensive peace agreement.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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