Pakistan presses ahead with preparations for Iran-U.S. talks even with Tehran’s participation unclear | Latest News

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan pressed ahead Tuesday with the groundwork for a second round of talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad as a fragile ceasefire hung in the balance, even though it remained unclear whether Tehran would send a delegation.

Both sides remain dug in rhetorically, with U.S. President Donald Trump warning that “lots of bombs” will “start going off” if there’s no agreement before the ceasefire deadline, which he put as Wednesday, and Iran’s chief negotiator saying that Tehran has “new cards on the battlefield” that haven’t yet been revealed.

kAm%96 EH@\H66< 462D67:C6 3682? @? pAC:= g[ 2?5 D66>65 =:<6=J E@ 36 6IE6?565 :7 E2=6 2D A=2??65] (9:E6 w@FD6 @77:4:2=D 92G6 D2:5 E92E &]$] ‘:46 !C6D:56?E ys ‘2?46 H@F=5 =625 E96 p>6C:42? 56=682E:@?[ 3FE xC2? 92D?VE D2:5 H9@ :E >:89E D6?5[ 2?5 xC2?:2? DE2E6 E6=6G:D:@? @? %F6D52J 3C@2542DE 2 >6DD286 D2J:?8 E92E “?@ 56=682E:@? 7C@> xC2? 92D G:D:E65 xD=2>2325]]] D@ 72C]”k^Am

kAmxC2?:2? DE2E6 %’ =@?8 92D 366? 4@?EC@==65 3J 92C5\=:?6CD H:E9:? xC2?’D E96@4C24J[ 2?5 E96 @?\D4C66? 2=6CE =:<6=J C67=64ED E96 @?8@:?8 :?E6C?2= 5632E6 H:E9:? xC2?’D E96@4C24J 2D :E H6:89D 9@H E@ C6DA@?5 E@ E96 &]$] }2GJ’D D6:KFC6 @7 2? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^@:=\E2?<6C\:C2B\9@C>FK\2_`_72524_2fac3ga3chhc4ghe6a57eaQmxC2?:2? 4@?E2:?6C D9:Ak^2m @G6C E96 H66<6?5]k^Am

k9bmkDEC@?8m$EC2:E @7 w@C>FK 4@?EC@= <6J E@ ?68@E:2E:@?Dk^DEC@?8mk^9bm

kAm%96 &]$] 92D :?DE:EFE65 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:C2?\H2C\DEC2:E\@7\9@C>FK\3=@4<256\ECF>A\37e2_df726374“63_4fed`_2c74a_3`Qm3=@4<256 @7 xC2?:2? A@CEDk^2m E@ AC6DDFC6 %69C2? :?E@ 6?5:?8 :ED DEC2?8=69@=5 @? E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E96\H@C=5D\>@DE\:>A@CE2?E\a`\>:=6D\_____`h5a7375ah5277567774fa6____Qm$EC2:E @7 w@C>FKk^2m[ 2 <6J D9:AA:?8 =2?6 E9C@F89 H9:49 a_T @7 E96 H@C=5’D ?2EFC2= 82D 2?5 4CF56 @:= EC2?D:ED 😕 A6246E:>6]k^Am

kAmxC2?’D :C@? 8C:A @? E96 DEC2:E 92D D6?E @:= AC:46D D@2C:?8[ 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DE@42C<6ED\:C2?\@:=\ECF>A\a2cbbf_f6_hhfe6a6ff7a632b2aad7b5QmqC6?E 4CF56k^2m[ E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= DE2?52C5[ H2D EC25:?8 2E 4=@D6 E@ Shd A6C 32CC6= @? %F6D52J[ FA >@C6 E92? b_T 7C@> u63] ag[ E96 52J E92E xDC26= 2?5 E96 &]$] 2EE24<65 xC2? E@ DE2CE E96 H2C]k^Am

kAmq67@C6 E96 H2C 3682?[ E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK 925 366? 7F==J @A6? E@ :?E6C?2E:@?2= D9:AA:?8[ 2?5 %CF>A 92D 56>2?565 E92E G6DD6=D 282:? 36 2==@H65 E@ EC2?D:E F?:>A6565 E9C@F89 E96 H2E6CH2J]k^Am

kAmtFC@A62? &?:@? EC2?DA@CE2E:@? >:?:DE6CD H6C6 >66E:?8 😕 qCFDD6=D @? %F6D52J E@ 5:D4FDD 9@H E@ AC@E64E 4@?DF>6CD 27E6C E96 9625 @7 E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= t?6C8J p86?4J H2C?65 E92E tFC@A6 92D “ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^?6HD\9:89=:89ED^DA@E=:89ED^a_ae^6FC@A6\92D\>2J36\e\H662J36 D:I H66^2CE:4=6^;6E\7F6=\D9@CE286\:C2?\H2C\:62\EC2G6=\3ff3b5f“b6gg5`gea7h_53cbb43hd27Qm;6E 7F6= DFAA=:6Dk^2m C6>2:?:?8]k^Am

kAm~G6C E96 H66<6?5[ xC2? D2:5 E92E :E 925 C646:G65 ?6H AC@A@D2=D 7C@> (2D9:?8E@?[ 3FE 2=D@ DF886DE65 E92E 2 H:56 82A C6>2:?D 36EH66? E96 D:56D] xDDF6D E92E 56C2:=65 E96 =2DE C@F?5 @7 ?68@E:2E:@?D :?4=F565 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:C2?\FD\?F4=62C\E:>6=:?6\H2C\`ce3c_fa7`7e44cb475b356fc_b`b2d4QmxC2?’D ?F4=62C 6?C:49>6?E AC@8C2>k^2m[ :ED C68:@?2= AC@I:6D 2?5 E96 DEC2:E]k^Am

kAmxC2?’D 49:67 ?68@E:2E@C 2?5 A2C=:2>6?E2CJ DA62<6C[ |@92>>65 q2896C “2=:327[ 244FD65 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @? %F6D52J @7 H2?E:?8 xC2? E@ DFCC6?56C 2?5 D2:5 E92E @? E96 4@?EC2CJ[ xC2? 92D 366? AC6A2C:?8 “E@ C6G62= ?6H 42C5D @? E96 32EE=67:6=5]”k^Am

kAm“(6 5@ ?@E 2446AE ?68@E:2E:@?D F?56C E96 D925@H @7 E9C62ED[” “2=:327 HC@E6 😕 2? ) A@DE]k^Am

k9bmkDEC@?8m!2<:DE2? 9@A67F= E2=

kAms6DA:E6 E96 C96E@C:42= D<:C>:D9:?8 36EH66? E96 EH@ D:56D[ !2<:DE2?: @77:4:2=D 92G6 6IAC6DD65 4@?7:56?46 E92E xC2? H:== 2=D@ D6?5 2 56=682E:@? =2E6 %F6D52J D@ E92E E96 E2=6]k^Am

kAm!2<:DE2?: u@C6:8? |:?:DE6C xD92B s2C @? %F6D52J DA@<6 H:E9 9:D t8JAE:2? 4@F?E6CA2CE[ q25C p356=2EEJ[ E@ 5:D4FDD E96 =2E6DE C68:@?2= 56G6=@A>6?ED[ 2D A2CE @7 5:A=@>2E:4 AC6A2C2E:@?D 367@C6 E96 A=2??65 E2=

kAms2C 2=D@ >6E H:E9 E96 2>32DD25@C 7C@> r9:?2[ H9:49 😀 2 <6J EC25:?8 A2CE?6C H:E9 xC2?[ 2D E96 u@C6:8? |:?:DECJ 😕 q6:;:?8 D2:5 E92E E96 4@?7=:4E H2D 2E 2 “4C:E:42= DE286 @7 EC2?D:E:@? 36EH66? H2C 2?5 A6246]”k^Am

kAmQpE DF49 2 >@>6?E[ :E 😀 2== E96 >@C6 ?646DD2CJ 7@C 2== A2CE:6D E@ D9@H E96 FE>@DE D:?46C:EJ[ C6>2:? 4@>>:EE65 E@ 2 A@=:E:42= D@=FE:@?[ >2:?E2:? E96 >@>6?EF> @7 E96 462D67:C6 2?5 ?68@E:2E:@?D[” >:?:DECJ DA@<6D>2? vF@ y:2

kAm$64FC:EJ 92D 366? E:89E6?65 24C@DD !2<:DE2?’D 42A:E2=[ H96C6 2FE9@C:E:6D 92G6 56A=@J65 E9@FD2?5D @7 A6CD@??6= 2?5 :?4C62D65 A2EC@=D 2=@?8 C@FE6D =625:?8 E@ E96 2:CA@CE]k^Am

kAm%96 2CC2?86>6?ED 2AA62C DEC:4E6C E92? E9@D6 AFE 😕 A=246 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 E2=2325 @? pAC:= “ 2?5 `a[ DF886DE:?8 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 9:89\=6G6= A2CE:4:A2E:@?[ :7 ?68@E:2E:@?D >2<6 AC@8C6DD[ D2:5 $J65 |@92>>25 p=:[ 2? xD=2>2325\32D65 D64FC:EJ 2?2=JDE]k^Am

kAm“!2<:DE2? 2AA62CD E@ 36 AC6A2C:?8 7@C E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 G:D:ED 3J E@A &]$] 2?5 xC2?:2? =6256CD :7 E96 E2=6?E 4@F=5 36 D:8?65[” 96 E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD]k^Am

k9bmkDEC@?8mw:DE@C:4 xDC26=\{632?@? E2=6k^DEC@?8mk^9bm

kAm|62?H9:=6[ 9:DE@C:4 5:A=@>2E:4 E2=^2CE:4=6^=632?@?\:DC26=\96K3@==29\462D67:C6\F?:E65\DE2E6D\6_c`a33fbc5_h267cha_d`4`fb_3dga`QmxDC26= 2?5 {632?@?k^2m H6C6 D6E E@ C6DF>6 @? %9FCD52J 😕 (2D9:?8E@?[ 2? xDC26=:[ 2 {632?6D6 2?5 2 &]$] @77:4:2= D2:5] p== E9C66 DA@<6 @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ E@ 5:D4FDD E96 369:?5\E96\D46?6D ?68@E:2E:@?D]k^Am

kAm%96 xDC26=: 2?5 {632?6D6 2>32DD25@CD >6E =2DE H66< 7@C E96 7:CDE 5:C64E 5:A=@>2E:4 E2=65 2E 5:D2C>:?8 w6K3@==29 2?5 C6249:?8 2 A6246 28C66>6?E H:E9 {632?@?]k^Am

kAmp k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=632?@?\:DC26=\96K3@==29\462D67:C6\:C2?\ECF>A\6IA=2:?\bd7ba2c327744dca3e`g5a5b74a3fcagQm`_\52J 462D67:C6k^2m 3682? @? uC:52J 😕 {632?@?[ H96C6 7:89E:?8 36EH66? xDC26= 2?5 xC2?:2?\324<65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^96K3@==29\:DC26=\92>2D\=632?@?\82K2\ea5e63ggb`735gf`7gea`ce255fhf_5hQmw6K3@==29 >:=:E2?EDk^2m 3C@<6 @FE EH@ 52JD 27E6C E96 &]$] 2?5 xDC26= =2F?4965 ;@:?E DEC:<6D @? xC2? E@ DE2CE E96 H2C] u:89E:?8 😕 {632?@? 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=632?@?\:DC26=\>65:4D\96K3@==29\H2C\462D67:C6\82K2\2>3F=2?46D\ag4he5hd2`e5fde`3h56geg7fbbf26d2Qm<:==65 >@C6 E92? a[ah_ A6@A=6k^2m]k^Am

kAm$:?46 E96 H2C DE2CE65[ 2E =62DE b[bfd A6@A=6 92G6 366? <:==65 😕 xC2?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2FE9@C:E:6D] p55:E:@?2==J[ ab A6@A=6 92G6 5:65 😕 xDC26= 2?5 >@C6 E92? 2 5@K6? 😕 vF=7 pC23 DE2E6D] u:7E66? xDC26=: D@=5:6CD 😕 {632?@? 2?5 `b &]$] D6CG:46 >6>36CD E9C@F89@FE E96 C68:@? 92G6 366? <:==65]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAm#:D:?8 C6A@CE65 7C@> q2?8<@<[ 2?5 v2>3C6== 7C@> sF32:[ &?:E65 pC23 t>:C2E6D] $2> |4}6:= 😕 qCFDD6=D[ 2?5 wF:K9@?8 (F 😕 q2?8<@<[ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D DE@CJ]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.