President Donald Trump has signaled that Iran can pick up the phone if it wishes to negotiate an end to the conflict as Tehran’s top diplomat visited mediator Pakistan for the second day in three days to discuss Iranian position on the U.S. peace offer.
In an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” Trump said: “If they want to talk, can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines.”
He added that the terms were straightforward: “They know what has to be in the agreement. It’s very simple: they cannot have a nuclear weapon, otherwise there’s no reason to meet.”
Trump praised Pakistan’s key role, adding the key South Asian country will remain involved but the U.S. will carry forward the process through phone.
“Great respect for Pakistan, because they’ve been terrific. They’ve really tried, and they’ll stay involved, but we’re going to do it by telephone,” Trump said, explaining there would be no round two of talks in Islamabad. “So if (the Iranians) want, they can call us.”
The remarks came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned to Islamabad for fresh talks with Pakistani leaders before continuing to Moscow, even after Washington cancelled a planned visit by senior U.S. envoys.
JUST IN: President Trump lays down a hard line on Iran talks, saying future discussions will happen by phone — not long-distance travel.
“They cannot have a nuclear weapon. Otherwise there’s no reason to meet.” | @JacquiHeinrich @SundayBriefFNC pic.twitter.com/0ub40kNac8
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 26, 2026
Araghchi’s shuttle diplomacy continues
Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Sunday after a stop in Muscat, Oman, where he met Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said. The two sides discussed security in the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s call for a regional security framework free of outside interference, according to Iran’s foreign ministry. Iranian state media later confirmed his return to the Pakistani capital.
“Great respect for Pakistan, because they’ve been terrific. They’ve really tried, and they’ll stay involved, but we’re going to do it by telephone,” Trump said, explaining there would be no round two of talks in Islamabad. “So if (the Iranians) want, they can call us.” https://t.co/KJKhKZ3uc4
— Caitlin Doornbos (@CaitlinDoornbos) April 26, 2026
Pakistani government sources told Reuters that Araghchi would hold high-level talks in Islamabad before flying to Moscow. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the discussions with Pakistani officials would focus on “implementing a new legal regime over the Strait of Hormuz, receiving compensation, guaranteeing no renewed military aggression by warmongers, and lifting the naval blockade.”
The agency stressed that the talks were unrelated to Iran’s nuclear program.
Cancelled U.S. visit and earlier deadlock
Hopes for a quick breakthrough had already dimmed after Trump scrapped a planned trip to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Speaking in Florida shortly before a shooting incident disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, Trump explained the decision: the Iranian offer was “a lot, but not enough,” and the travel and expense were not justified.
An earlier round of direct talks in Islamabad, led on the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance opposite Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, ended without agreement.
Following the cancellation of the latest U.S. visit, two U.S. Air Force C-17 transport aircraft carrying security staff, equipment and vehicles departed Pakistan, two Pakistani government sources confirmed to Reuters.
Background to the conflict
The war began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. A ceasefire has since paused large-scale fighting, but no comprehensive agreement has been reached. The conflict has killed thousands, driven up global oil prices, fuelled inflation and darkened the outlook for economic growth.
Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz — which normally carries one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments — while the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran has long insisted on its right to enrich uranium for what it describes as peaceful purposes; Western powers and Israel maintain that the programme is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.
Iran rejects ‘imposed negotiations’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by telephone that Tehran would not enter “imposed negotiations” under threats or blockade. According to a statement from the Iranian government, Pezeshkian said Washington must first remove obstacles, including the maritime blockade, before any groundwork for a settlement could begin.
Differing views on Tehran’s internal politics
Trump, writing on Truth Social before the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, described “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership.
Pezeshkian pushed back last week, stating there were “no hardliners or moderates” in Tehran and that the country stood united behind its supreme leader.
Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
Asim Tanveer is a seasoned journalist working for TV and electronic and print media outlets. He has been working for some of the world’s leading news organizations including Associated Press (AP), Reuters, BBC, CNN, CNBC, Star TV, Voice of America and The New York Times for more than 30 years. He has won several awards for his live coverage of events that include a Reuters News Agency World Award and the Pride of Performance award in 1997.
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.
