Yasin Gungor
19 April 2026•Update: 19 April 2026
US President Donald Trump said Sunday he was optimistic about ongoing negotiations with Iran, and that he believed there was "a very good chance" of finalizing a deal.
"The concept of the deal is done. I think we have a very good chance to get it completed," he told Axios.
Talks are expected to take place on Tuesday in Islamabad, possibly extending into Wednesday, Trump told Fox News. A White House official told Anadolu that Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan for the negotiations.
Iran, however, has not yet decided to send a delegation, according to the country's semi-official Tasnim news agency, which said Tehran would not participate in talks while a US naval blockade remained in effect.
Iran's state news agency IRNA described the US’ demands as "excessive, unreasonable, and unrealistic," accusing Washington of repeatedly shifting its positions and maintaining "contradictory stances" throughout the process.
“Under these conditions, there are no clear signs of fruitful negotiations,” the report said.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the US-Israeli offensive on Iran began Feb. 28, with a formal US naval blockade announced on April 13.
