President Donald Trump struck an upbeat tone on the prospects for the resumption of direct US-Iranian talks, saying that they could restart in Pakistan within the next two days.
"You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there," Trump said on Tuesday during a telephone interview with a New York Post reporter who is in Islamabad.
"It's more likely, you know why? Because the field marshal is doing a great job."
Trump was referring to Pakistani Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir, with whom he developed a strong relationship as he sought to broker an end to the 2025 Pakistan-India conflict.
"He's fantastic, and therefore it's more likely that we go back there," Trump told the Post. "Why should we go to some country that has nothing to do with it?"
Roughly an hour before those remarks, Trump sought to throw cold water on the prospects for a return to Pakistan, telling the Post in a separate call that "I don't think it'll be there that we have our meeting. We'll probably go to another location. We have another location in mind, OK?"
It is unclear what changed between the two calls.
Talks under consideration
A White House official separately confirmed that additional talks with Iran remain under consideration ahead of the potential expiration of a short-term ceasefire next week.
"Future talks are under discussion but nothing has been scheduled at this time," said the official.
The war involving Iran, the US and Israel has driven global oil prices sharply higher, as the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes, remains under Iran’s control.
As negotiations hit an impasse Saturday, Trump vowed to blockade the waterway to force Iran back to the negotiating table.
He has lambasted countries in Europe for declining to take part in efforts to reopen the strait, a blockage that many European leaders blame on Trump for starting a war without consulting them.
