“US-Iran” peace talks might not happen after US seizes Iranian ship

Today (April 20, 2026), Reuters reported that the US delegation, headed by Vice President J.D. Vance, is preparing for the next round of talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan—the country mediating the conflict—just one day before the two-week ceasefire expires. Pakistan has established security precautions, deploying over 20,000 police and military personnel throughout Islamabad. Pakistan's Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, announced in a news release that "Special security measures have been taken for all of our special guests."

Despite US President Donald Trump's threats to attack Iranian infrastructure, including power plants, if Iran does not agree to the ceasefire, the announcement that US personnel are returning to Pakistan officially confirms that the talks will continue, after the first round ended without resolution last week.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the Iranian team will not attend the talks, claiming the US has broken the ceasefire pact since its beginning, after the United States seized the Iranian-flagged cargo ship "Touska" in the Strait of Hormuz. This vessel was subject to US Treasury sanctions and has since been detained. The seizure came just hours after Trump announced that he would send a US mission to Islamabad to negotiate with Iran.

The US-Iran clash has entered its eighth week, causing volatility in global energy supplies and increasing oil prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Thousands of people have already been killed as a result of US and Israeli attacks on Iran, as well as Israel's invasion of Lebanon.

SOURCE: Reuters