Trump says U.S. negotiators will return to Pakistan for talks with Iran

President Donald Trump says American negotiators will return to Pakistan Monday night for negotiations after Iran and the United States accused each other of violating a two-week ceasefire that expires on Tuesday. 

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Iran accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire by blockading its ports and the U.S. accused Iran of violating the agreement by firing on two Indian-flagged ships on Saturday.

“A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday.

In a call Sunday with MS NOW’s Jacqueline Alemany, co-anchor of “The Weekend,” Trump said the U.S. delegation will include his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. He said Vice President JD Vance would not join this round of negotiations for security reasons after leading their delegation last week.

After the call, however, two senior U.S. officials told MS NOW that Vance will, in fact, lead the delegation to Islamabad on Monday evening to start a second round of peace talks in hopes of ending the war. In response to a request for comment from MS NOW about what changed, the White House did not offer further clarification.

Trump again on Sunday threatened to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure if Iran doesn’t reach a deal — with the two-week ceasefire set to expire this week and the strait remaining shut to Western shipping.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” Trump said in his Truth Social post. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” 

Under international law, the destruction of every power plant and bridge in Iran by the U.S. would be a war crime since some of them serve civilians. Diplomats from the region have told MS NOW that such threats could be interpreted by Iranians as a sign that Trump is desperate for a deal.

Iran did not immediately respond to Trump’s threats or his announcement that U.S. officials will return to Pakistan late Monday. But a spokesman for Iran’s ministry of foreign affairs suggested Sunday the two sides are far apart, calling the U.S. military blockade of Iran’s ports “not only a violation of Pakistani-mediated ceasefire but also both unlawful and criminal.”

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Erum Salam

Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.

Akayla Gardner

Akayla Gardner is a White House correspondent for MS NOW.

David Rohde

David Rohde is the senior national security reporter for MS NOW. Previously he was the senior executive editor for national security and law for NBC News.