Iran denies sending officials to Islamabad as ceasefire nears collapse

ALBAWABA - The world is on high alert as the ceasefire deal deadline between the United States and Iran nears, and fears that peace talks between Tehran and Washington could fail, leading to the war resuming.

Iranian national television denied on Tuesday media reports claiming that a negotiation delegation had arrived in Pakistan or that a date for meetings with the Americans had been set. An Iranian official stressed that Tehran has made no decision on taking part in the talks in Islamabad.

In contrast, U.S. President Donald Trump announced sending a team to Islamabad, headed by his Vice President JD Vance and accompanied by the U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, in addition to Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

On the other hand, Iranian armed forces are ready to make an "immediate and decisive response" to any escalation by its adversaries, according to a statement by Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, as quoted by Tasnim.

When will the U.S.-Iran ceasefire end?

The U.S. and Israel launched a preemptive attack on Tehran on February 28, killing senior Iranian officials and military leaders, including the country's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. In response, Tehran carried out airstrikes on Tel Aviv and American assets in the region.

The two-week ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran, which was announced by Donald Trump on March 7, is ending around April 21–22, 2026.

When will the truce end?

U.S. time: 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 21
Iran time: 3 a.m., Wednesday morning, April 22