{"id":124506,"date":"2026-04-21T19:19:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=124506"},"modified":"2026-04-21T19:19:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:19:29","slug":"trump-says-us-in-a-very-very-strong-position-for-iran-talks-expects-great-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/124506\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump says US in a \u2018very, very strong\u2019 position for Iran talks, expects \u2018great deal\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON(National Times)- US President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted the strong negotiation position of the country in talks with Iran to end the Middle East conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to end up with a great deal. I think they have no choice\u2026 We\u2019re in a very, very strong negotiating position,\u201d Trump told broadcaster CNBC<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also said that he did not want to extend a ceasefire with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to do that. We don\u2019t have that much time,\u201d Trump said when asked about the possibility of extending the ceasefire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the prospect of last-ditch further peace talks still up in the air, Trump said the US would resume its attacks on Iran if a deal is not struck with Tehran soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI expect to be bombing because I think that\u2019s a better attitude to go in with. But we\u2019re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-week truce between the US and Iran was supposed to expire at 8pm (Eastern) on Tuesday, April 21. But on Tuesday, Trump said it would now end on Wednesday evening US time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier on Wednesday, he also accused Iran of violating the ceasefire \u201cnumerous times\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Pakistan calls on US, Iran to consider extending ceasefire<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged the US and Iran to \u201cconsider extending the ceasefire and give dialogue and diplomacy a chance\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He expressed these views in a meeting with US Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires Natalie Baker, according to the Foreign Office (FO).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDPM\/FM underscored Pakistan\u2019s consistent emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable means to address challenges and achieve lasting regional peace and stability,\u201d the FO said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baker conveyed US appreciation for Pakistan\u2019s constructive and positive role in promoting regional peace and facilitating dialogue, it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The developments take place as a US delegation is expected<\/a> in Islamabad amid anticipation of a second round of talks between Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first round of historic direct US-Iran talks<\/u><\/a>, held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown<\/u><\/a>, as a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire remained in effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pakistan initially positioned itself as a facilitator in the peace process between Tehran and Washington after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, setting off a conflict that gave rise to a global fuel crisis. Later, the White House and Iran acknowledged<\/a> it as the \u201csole mediator\u201d in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the first round of talks, Pakistan\u2019s civil and military leadership engaged<\/u><\/a> in feverish diplomacy, seeking to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, CNN<\/em> reported that US Vice President JD Vance and other top US officials were expected to depart for Islamabad on Tuesday, while an unnamed Iranian official told Reuters<\/em> that Tehran was considering attending talks following reported moves by Islamabad to end a US blockade of Iran\u2019s ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there has been no official announcement from Iran regarding its participation in the expected talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian state television said that no Iranian delegation had yet departed for talks. It quoted unnamed Iranian officials as saying that taking part of the negotiations \u201cdepends on the change in the behaviour and positions of the Americans\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iranian officials have questioned Washington\u2019s commitment towards the talks. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised \u201cunconstructive and contradictory\u201d signals by the US on Monday, saying they carried a \u201cbitter message\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Iran\u2019s foreign ministry said that the US was not serious about pursuing diplomacy, citing what it called \u201cviolations\u201d of their two-week ceasefire. Its spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, said a US attack <\/u><\/a>on an Iranian cargo ship, the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and delays in implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon were all \u201cclear violations of the ceasefire\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions in the Middle East further escalated following the seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman by US forces on Sunday. Trump described the move as enforcement of restrictions on Iranian ports, while Tehran called it \u201cpiracy\u201d and responded with increased drone activity near US naval assets in the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US maintained its blockade<\/u><\/a> of Iranian ports, while Iran lifted and then reimposed its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of the issues at the core of the impasse between the US and Iran. Another point of contention is Washington\u2019s demand for long-term commitments on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme, including constraints on enrichment and safeguards against weaponisation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON(National Times)- US President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted the strong negotiation position of the country in talks with Iran to end the Middle East conflict. \u201cWe\u2019re going to end up with a great deal. I think they have no choice\u2026 We\u2019re in a very, very strong negotiating position,\u201d Trump told broadcaster CNBC. He also said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":124507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nTrump says US in a \u2018very, very strong\u2019 position for Iran talks, expects \u2018great deal\u2019 - Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/124506\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump says US in a \u2018very, very strong\u2019 position for Iran talks, expects \u2018great deal\u2019 - Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"WASHINGTON(National Times)- US President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted the strong negotiation position of the country in talks with Iran to end the Middle East conflict. \u201cWe\u2019re going to end up with a great deal. 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