Donald Trump Signals Iran War Near End as Peace Talks Resume in Islamabad

U.S. President Donald Trump declared the American-Israeli war against Iran "very close to the end" on Wednesday, expressing confidence that a peace agreement could be reached before the end of April 2026, potentially ahead of the scheduled state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States from April 27 to 30. Trump made the remarks in a Fox Business interview with host Maria Bartiromo, telling her: "I think it's nearly over, yeah. I mean, I consider it very nearly over." He added that Iran would need two decades to recover even if the United States halted operations immediately, signaling continued military leverage. A two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, which took effect on April 8, remains in place, with its expiration set for April 22, and reports indicate efforts are underway to extend it. Despite the optimistic tone, negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain unresolved after talks in Islamabad broke down over the weekend of April 7 over the question of Iran's nuclear program.

Islamabad talks collapse over nuclear pledge demand The first round of direct negotiations, held in the Pakistani capital Islamabad and led by Vice President JD Vance, fell apart on April 7 when Iran refused to commit to permanently abandoning its nuclear weapons program. Vance told reporters that the Iranians would not pledge to stop pursuing the development of a nuclear weapon or the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve one. „They have chosen not to accept our terms. The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon.” — JD Vance via POLITICO According to reporting by Il Sole 24 ORE, the specific sticking point was the duration of any nuclear freeze: the United States sought a 20-year halt, while Tehran was willing to accept only five years. Trump nonetheless signaled on Tuesday that new talks could resume in Islamabad within "a couple of days," telling the New York Post that "something could be happening over the next two days." He praised Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir as a key facilitator, saying: "It is very likely and do you know why? Because the Field Marshal is doing a great job, he is fantastic." Munir traveled to Tehran on Tuesday to deliver American messages to the Iranian delegation and lay the groundwork for a second round of talks, according to La Stampa.

Ten thousand additional US troops head to the region While diplomacy continues, the United States is simultaneously intensifying its military posture in the Middle East. Approximately 10,000 additional personnel are being deployed to the region: and a further 4,000 Marines from various units, who are expected to arrive in the theater of conflict in late April. The Strait of Hormuz remains under a naval blockade, with nine vessels turned back to Iranian ports in the first 48 hours of the closure, according to La Stampa. Iran has disputed the U.S. Central Command account of the blockade, with the Fars news agency reporting at least one vessel that bypassed American enforcement. The economic cost of the blockade is estimated at approximately 500 million dollars per day for Iran, which routes 90 percent of its crude oil exports through the strait. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced plans to ask allies to freeze the assets of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and warned countries still purchasing Iranian crude that they risk secondary sanctions. Trump also stated that gasoline prices would return to three dollars per gallon in the summer, framing the economic pressure as a path to a faster resolution.

The war between the United States and Israel against Iran began on February 28, 2026, in an operation that killed then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in its opening strikes. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire beginning April 8, 2026, creating the diplomatic window now being used for negotiations. The conflict has disrupted global oil markets and key commodity supplies, with the Strait of Hormuz closure compounding an earlier Iranian-imposed closure of the waterway.

China, Gulf states, and Europe press for a diplomatic exit International pressure to end the conflict has intensified, with a summit scheduled in Paris on Thursday to address the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple governments have moved urgently to push Trump toward renewed negotiations, including Turkey, France, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, and China. Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking at a summit with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed, described the international order as collapsing into chaos and proposed China as a stabilizing force, calling for maintenance of the "fragile ceasefire." Trump separately wrote on Truth Social that China had agreed not to send weapons to Tehran ahead of his planned visit to the country in mid-May, and said Xi Jinping "will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks." Iran, for its part, warned that European involvement in the Hormuz negotiations was unwelcome, with Tehran stating that Europe should stay out of the matter. The diplomatic picture is further complicated by reports of Chinese satellites potentially being used against American interests, described by La Stampa as casting shadows over the broader negotiating environment. Trump told Sky News UK Washington correspondent Mark Stone that a peace agreement by the end of April was "possible," adding: "We've hit them hard, it's very possible" — framing the timeline around the King Charles III state visit as a potential diplomatic milestone.

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