The second round of US-Iran talks may be held this Thursday, with Islamabad and Geneva as backup options

After the previous round of negotiations between the United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement, both sides are still maintaining contact and are discussing arrangements for holding a second round of face-to-face talks.

According to reports from foreign media, US government officials are internally discussing the specific arrangements for holding a second meeting before the temporary ceasefire agreement expires. Whether the talks can ultimately take place will depend on the progress of communications among the parties over the coming days.

As for the location of the talks, two main options are currently under consideration. Discussions are again focusing on Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, as the venue for the talks, and Geneva, Switzerland, is also listed as a potential backup location.

Insiders said that before Islamabad was finalized as the venue for the last negotiations, various alternative locations had been considered, including Vienna, Austria, and Istanbul, Turkey. At present, Geneva and Islamabad are once again being considered.

While the specific schedule for the talks has not yet been finalized, there are reports suggesting that the talks could take place on Thursday. However, according to a report on the social media of Russian news agency TASS, the next “direct negotiations” between the United States and Iran may be held in Islamabad on the 16th.

Notably, the US and Iran are making progress in their efforts to reach an agreement. A message from a US official said that contacts between the US and Iran are continuing and that progress is being made toward reaching an agreement.

In addition, according to informed sources, based on the progress of communications over the coming days, the US and Iran may extend the current ceasefire deadline again by two weeks, to allow more time for subsequent negotiations.

Looking back at the previous round of talks, the US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad ended on April 12, but neither side reached any agreement. Iran said the talks were taking place in an atmosphere of “mistrust and suspicion,” and that the two sides had differences on two or three major issues.

The US side, meanwhile, said that it had made its “red lines” very clear, but Iran did not accept the US conditions. Against this backdrop, the upcoming second round of talks appears especially important.

#US-Iran Second Round of Negotiations