‘Won’t Submit To Force,’ Says Pezeshkian As Iran May Send Team To Islamabad For US Talks

Last Updated:April 20, 2026, 22:17 IST

Pezeshkian flags “contradictory signals” from US officials, says Washington is seeking Iran’s “surrender” amid uncertainty over Islamabad talks.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday said Iranians will not submit to force and accused the United States of seeking Iran’s “surrender", amid conflicting signals over whether both sides will attend talks in Islamabad.

“Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue. Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward US government conduct remains, while unconstructive and contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran’s surrender. Iranians do not submit to force," he said in a post on X.

The remarks come as US President Donald Trump told the New York Post that Vice President JD Vance, along with adviser Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Islamabad for a second round of talks aimed at ending the conflict. He also said that the deal would be signed during this round of discussions.

Islamabad Peace Talks: Catch All The Latest Updates Here

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said earlier that Tehran has not yet decided on participating in any talks with the United States.

However, reports from the New York Times and the Associated Press suggest mixed signals from the Iranian side. The New York Times reported that an Iranian delegation is preparing to travel to Islamabad on Tuesday for negotiations, citing senior officials.

According to the report, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guards commander and a key figure in the talks, would attend if Vance also participates.

Separately, Pakistani officials told the Associated Press that Iran has indicated willingness to send a delegation for a second round of talks in Islamabad this week.

They said there is cautious optimism that delegations from both Iran and the United States could travel to Islamabad, though details of any such visit are being withheld due to security considerations.

Trump told Bloomberg News it was “highly unlikely" he would extend the two-week ceasefire that he said ends on Wednesday evening US eastern time.

He separately told PBS News that if the ceasefire ends without a peace deal “then lots of bombs start going off."

Asked if Iran would attend talks that were meant to take place on Monday in Islamabad, Trump said he did not know.

“They’re supposed to be there. We agreed to be there," he said.

News world ‘Won’t Submit To Force,’ Says Pezeshkian As Iran May Send Team To Islamabad For US Talks

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