TEHRAN: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has welcomed dialogue and diplomatic engagement with the US, adding that breaches of commitments and threats are the main obstacles to peace talks.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always welcomed and continues to welcome dialogue and agreement. Bad faith, siege, and threats are the main obstacles to genuine negotiation,” he said in a post on X.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has welcomed dialogue and agreement and continues to do so. Breach of commitments, blockade and threats are main obstacles to genuine negotiations. World sees your endless hypocritical rhetoric and contradiction between claims and actions.
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 22, 2026
Earlier, Iran’s Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, one of Iran’s leading negotiators, said in a post on social media that “a complete ceasefire only makes sense if it’s not violated” by America’s naval blockade of Iranian vessels off the Strait of Hormuz.
“Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible with such a flagrant breach of the ceasefire,” said Ghalibaf.
آتشبس کامل وقتی معنا دارد که با محاصره دریایی و گروگانگیری اقتصاد دنیا نقض نشود و جنگ افروزی صهیونیستها در همه جبههها متوقف باشد؛ بازگشایی تنگه هرمز با نقض فاحش آتشبس ممکن نیست.
با تجاوز نظامی به اهداف خود نرسیدند،با قلدری هم نخواهند رسید. تنها راه، پذیرش حقوق ملت ایران است.— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 22, 2026
Trump says US-Iran talks on Friday
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that a second round of talks between the United States and Iran could take place “as soon as Friday”.
Speaking to The New York Post, Trump said “good news” regarding renewed negotiations may be coming as soon as Friday, adding that a follow-up round of talks was under consideration.
Sources, cited by The New York Post, touted positive Pakistani mediation efforts with Tehran, renewing the possibility of further peace talks within the next “36 to 72 hours.”
About a possible breakthrough in peace talks, Trump, in a text message to The New York Post, said: “It’s possible! President DJT.”
Meanwhile, President Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had halted the execution of eight women following his appeal, describing the development as “very good news”, although Iranian authorities said that no such executions had been planned.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had been informed that the women, described as protesters, would no longer be executed.
“I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed,” he wrote.
“Four will be released immediately, and four will be sentenced to one month in prison,” he added, thanking Iran’s leadership for “respecting my request”.
Despite warnings from both sides and tit-for-tat interceptions of commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire between the US and Iran has held since it was signed two weeks ago.
On Tuesday, Trump said that he was extending the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran time to formulate a unified response to his offer for a wider peace deal.
Pakistan, which has acted as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran, has urged both sides to sit down again for a new round of direct talks after brokering the first ceasefire agreement in Islamabad in early April.
