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Donald Trump has postponed the deadline for the end of the ceasefire by one day. Both governments are issuing threats and raising doubts about their planned meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The center of Islamabad is deserted on the morning of Tuesday, April 21. The main arteries are blocked off, and shops are closed in a wide perimeter. The Pakistani capital is ready to host American and Iranian delegations for new talks on the eve of the ceasefire deadline. However, there is currently no certainty that the two sides will meet. In Tehran, residents are optimistic. “Yes, it will happen because we cannot remain uncertain. Things cannot continue like this, and Iran will emerge victorious,” one resident explains. “I don’t think the war should resume. War is costly for both sides,” another resident adds.
In the event that negotiations resume, the chief of the Iranian judiciary is not very optimistic about the outcomes. “American action against one of our ships will surely trigger a response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. They are the ones who violated the ceasefire,” said Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, chief of the Iranian judiciary.
American Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to come, as he did ten days ago. One of the main sticking points remains enriched uranium for nuclear purposes. The U.S. has lowered its demands, now asking for a fifteen-year moratorium instead of abandonment. “President Trump has been weakened by his team, where there is likely no unanimity, but also by countries suffering the consequences of this military action, namely the Gulf countries, which are greatly affected,” said Marc Lavergne, a researcher at CNRS.
A sign that negotiations are likely to resume. Since Monday, April 20, American military and official planes have been landing at an airport near Islamabad.
