U.S. President Donald Trump has drawn a firm line in the sand over the fragile truce with Iran, rejecting any extension of the ceasefire even as American envoys head to Islamabad for high-level negotiations.
Iran has also indicated that it would participate in Pakistan-mediated talks, aimed at ending the conflict.
In a rapidly evolving crisis that has already seen weeks of open conflict, Trump’s latest comments signal an aggressive push for a decisive deal.
Meanwhile, Islamabad prepares to host the two sides as diplomacy seeks to end uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. and Iran have put in place competing blockades on shipping.
Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) receives supplies during a vertical replenishment in the Arabian Sea with supply ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), April 18. Abraham Lincoln is currently operating in the Middle East enforcing the U.S. naval blockade on vessels… pic.twitter.com/s0w7JqSXsm
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 21, 2026
Trump: ‘We Don’t Have That Much Time’
In a pointed interview with CNBC, President Trump made clear he has no interest in prolonging the current ceasefire with Iran.
“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” he said when directly asked about the possibility of an extension.
Trump Says He Could Meet Iranian Leaders if Islamabad Talks Make Progress
The statement underscores Washington’s urgency to move beyond the temporary pause and force a comprehensive agreement before momentum is lost.
‘A Very, Very Strong Negotiating Position’
As Vice President JD Vance was expected in the Pakistani capital soon, Trump projected confidence in America’s leverage.
“We’re going to end up with a great deal. I think they have no choice… We’re in a very, very strong negotiating position,” he told CNBC’s Squawk Box.
Pakistan in the Middle as US Delegation Heads to Islamabad for High-Stakes Iran Talks
Washington, he said, is “going to end up with a great deal” with Iran to end the weeks-long war.
“I think they have no choice,” Trump insisted, before listing a series of devastating blows inflicted on Tehran:
“We’ve taken out their navy, we’ve taken out their air force, we’ve taken out their leaders.”
‘Iran Violated the Ceasefire Numerous Times’
On his Truth Social platform, President Trump escalated the rhetoric further, accusing Iran of repeated violations of the truce.
“Iran has violated the ceasefire numerous times,” he wrote.
U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska, April 20, as the Iranian-flagged vessel’s container cargo is searched after U.S. Marines boarded and seized the ship when it attempted to violate the U.S. naval blockade. pic.twitter.com/Czs127lK6p
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026
He framed the upcoming negotiations in Islamabad as broadly supported by the international community.
“The entire world is supporting these negotiations, including us. And we are supporting our brothers in Pakistan,” Trump added in the post.
Hopefully, Iran Will Make a Fair Deal
Earlier, Trump expressed confidence that Iran would negotiate, saying it would “face problems” otherwise, reports Al Jazeera.
“Well, they’re going to negotiate, and if they don’t, they’re going to see problems like they’ve never seen before,” Trump said, while speaking via phone with radio programme The John Fredericks Show.
Tehran signals openness to US talks as Pakistan pushes to ease blockade
“Hopefully, they’ll make a fair deal, and they’ll build their country back up, but when they do it, they will not have a nuclear weapon. They’ll have no access to, no chance of having, a nuclear weapon. And we can’t allow that to happen. That could be the destruction of the world, and we’re not going to let that happen.”
“And I have to say, we had no choice in Iran. It wasn’t like we had a choice. We had to do it,” the U.S. president added.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
