Trump signals Iran talks may resume soon

U.S. President Donald Trump said talks on a second phase of ceasefire negotiations with Iran could take place within days, suggesting in a phone interview with the New York Post on April 14 that discussions could begin as early as April 16. In a separate interview with Fox Business scheduled to air on April 15, he also indicated the conflict could soon come to an end. Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo wrote on X on April 14 that she had just finished interviewing Trump and that he said, “Iran War is over.”

The United States and Iran agreed to a surprise two-week ceasefire on April 7. Since then, delegations have held marathon talks lasting about 21 hours on April 11 and April 12 in Islamabad, Pakistan, but failed to reach an agreement. Attention is now focused on whether the sides can make progress in a second round of negotiations expected before the ceasefire expires on April 21.

Trump said on April 14 that he has long maintained Iran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, adding that he is not comfortable with a 20-year timeframe. The Wall Street Journal reported on April 13 that the United States had proposed during the first round of talks that Iran suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years, a proposal Tehran rejected. Against that backdrop, Trump’s remarks point to a harder line, signaling pressure for a more open-ended end to Iran’s nuclear program.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance also stepped up pressure on April 14, saying Trump is seeking not a “small deal” but a “grand bargain” in talks with Iran. The terms, used during Trump’s first term in reference to nuclear negotiations with North Korea, reflect the administration’s push for a broader agreement rather than a limited arrangement. Analysts say the administration’s increasingly assertive messaging appears aimed at strengthening its leverage ahead of a second round of talks with Iran.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com