Washington – US President Donald Trump said Thursday he could travel to Islamabad to seal a deal, praising Pakistan’s leadership and signaling he “might go” if an agreement is signed there: “The field marshal has been great. The Prime Minister has been really great in Pakistan so I might go.”
The US president was speaking about Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who is currently in Tehran amid Islamabad’s efforts to broker peace between Iran and the US.
PM Shehbaz Sharif separately traveled to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, in efforts to push for peace in the region.
Trump also said that a second round of talks with Iran could take place this weekend.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump expressed his hope that a temporary extension of the two-week truce set to expire on April 21 won’t be necessary and that the sides would reach a deal for a permanent ceasefire.
Trump said he may even travel to Pakistan for a signing ceremony if a deal is reached.
Trump claims the US blockade of Iranian-linked ships trying to cross through the Strait of Hormuz has been an effective tool in bringing Iran to the table.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and we’re dealing very nicely with them,” Trump says.
He insists his red line is that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. He then claims that Tehran has already agreed to this demand and to give up its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium — something the Islamic Republic has not shown any indication that it is prepared to do.
“We have a very good relationship with Iran right now… and I think it’s a combination of about four weeks of bombing and a very powerful blockade,” Trump says.
President Donald Trump the United States and Iran were “very close” to a peace deal and that he would consider going to Pakistan to sign an agreement.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump added that Tehran had agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium, as the two countries mull further talks in Islamabad.
“We’re very close to making a deal with Iran,” Trump said as he left to board his helicopter for a trip to Las Vegas.
“We had to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon… They’ve totally agreed to that. They’ve agreed to almost everything, so maybe if they can get to the table, there’s a difference.”
Asked if he might travel to Pakistan to sign an agreement, Trump added: I might go, yeah. If the deal is signed in Islamabad, I might go.”
Vice President JD Vance led a US delegation to Islamabad last weekend for talks with Iranian officials but came away empty handed. The White House says it is in discussions about a second round of talks that would likely be in Pakistan again.
Trump added that Iran had agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium — a key sticking point for any deal — although he gave no details about any such agreement.
“They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” Trump said, using his name for the enriched uranium stockpile that the United States says could be used to build nuclear weapons.
The development takes place a day after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Washington is discussing holding a second round of talks with Iran. Leavitt told the press that the second round of peace discussions was “very likely” to be held in Islamabad.
The White House press secretary also appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to mediate between the US and Iran, saying that Islamabad was the “only mediator” in the ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran.
