Washington, April 10, 2026 – The Europe Today: US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about the prospects of a peace agreement between the United States and Iran, as high-stakes negotiations are set to take place in Islamabad this weekend to end a nearly six-week conflict.
In a phone interview with NBC on Thursday, President Trump indicated that he had urged Israel to scale down its military operations in Lebanon to create space for Pakistan-facilitated diplomatic talks to proceed effectively.
The upcoming negotiations will see US Vice President JD Vance leading the American delegation, as Washington and Tehran seek to de-escalate tensions following a conflict that rapidly spread across the Middle East. The hostilities intensified after Iran retaliated against US and Israeli actions by targeting energy installations in neighboring countries allied with Washington.
President Trump suggested that Iranian leadership adopts a more conciliatory tone during negotiations, stating that “they’re much more reasonable” in direct discussions. He claimed that Tehran is showing willingness to agree on key issues necessary for a deal.
However, he also warned of serious consequences if negotiations fail, saying, “If they don’t make a deal, it’s going to be very painful.”
The diplomatic push follows the announcement of a fragile ceasefire earlier this week, which has already faced challenges amid conflicting claims regarding the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s warnings to Israel over continued strikes in Lebanon.
Responding to questions about Israeli military actions, Trump said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that Israeli forces were beginning to scale back operations.
“I spoke with Bibi (Netanyahu) and he’s going to low-key it. I just think we have to be a little more low-key,” Trump remarked.
The Islamabad talks are widely viewed as a critical opportunity to transform the temporary ceasefire into a broader and more durable peace framework, with Pakistan playing a central mediating role in the process.
