"July 22 Deadline," "No Surrender Talks" as Standoff Continues, Preparations for Talks Accelerate [U.S.-Iran Second Negotiations Tug of War]

As Donald Trump raised the pressure by setting the evening of the 22nd (U.S. Eastern Time, morning of the 23rd in Korea) as the new ceasefire deadline, reports said a second round of end-of-war talks between the two sides will be held on the 22nd. The second meeting, which had appeared to be on the verge of collapse, is now moving quickly toward being held.
CNN reported on the 20th (local time), citing sources, that the second round of talks between the two sides is scheduled to take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, on the morning of the 22nd. It added that the U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance will depart for Pakistan on the morning of the 21st. It also said that, as in the first round, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament, will head the Iranian negotiating team.
The Wall Street Journal also reported the same day that Iran had informed mediators it would send a delegation to the second round of talks in Pakistan. That would mean negotiations are resuming. Axios, a U.S. political news outlet, also reported that after mediator countries including Pakistan, Egypt and the Republic of Türkiye urged Iran to join the meeting, Mojtaba Khamenei, the supreme leader's son, approved participation in the talks late on the 20th.
Despite the string of U.S. media reports signaling that the talks will take place, Iran has not officially confirmed whether it will send a delegation to the second round. The exact status of the meeting remains unclear. Iran has also maintained a hard-line stance, demanding as a precondition that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz be lifted.
■Trump: "Ends on the 22nd, no extension"
Even as reports pointed to a meeting, the war of nerves between the two sides continues. President Trump extended the ceasefire deadline by one more day on the 20th, but kept the maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in place. Iran is also standing firm, saying, "There are no negotiations under threat." Still, neither side has closed the door on talks, and mediation and indirect coordination are continuing. That leaves room, however slim, for a last-minute compromise rather than a direct plunge into a full-scale clash. Even so, the final direction of the uncertain peace talks remains unclear, and the struggle to gain the upper hand is intensifying.
Trump pressed Iran further, saying the chance of extending the ceasefire was "very small." It was a brinkmanship strategy that left no room for further delay. He also ignored Iran's demand that the blockade of the strait be lifted as a precondition for talks. Trump said, "Iran desperately wants me to open the strait. But it will not be opened until there is a signed agreement," reaffirming his intention to keep the maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in place.
Trump went a step further and publicly raised the possibility of renewed fighting if no agreement is reached. "If there is no deal, I would definitely expect fighting to resume," he said, adding, "I am not going to rush into a bad deal." He signaled that he would not be pressured by time during the negotiations. Through Truth Social, he also suggested the possibility of economic support after regime change, saying that "if Iran's new leadership is wise, it can have a prosperous future." He later cited the Venezuela case as a model of economic normalization after regime change.
■Tensions rise around the Strait of Hormuz
Not to be outdone, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament, criticized the U.S. maritime blockade and military pressure as an attempt to turn the situation into a "table of surrender." He said, "Iran has been preparing new cards on the battlefield over the past two weeks." His remarks suggested that Iran would keep open the option of a military response, separate from the negotiations. He also warned that "negotiations under the shadow of threats are unacceptable."
The blockade is already having an effect. CENTCOM said that since the maritime blockade began on the 13th, 27 ships traveling to and from Iranian ports have turned back or returned. More recently, tensions have risen again after an Iranian cargo ship was seized by U.S. forces.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is expected to depart for Islamabad, Pakistan, the site of the talks, on the 21st. Some confusion has also emerged as Trump's shifting remarks have led to conflicting reports. In an interview with the New York Post, he said Vance was already heading to Pakistan, but some media outlets reported that he was still in the United States. Steve Witkoff, the president's special envoy, and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, are also expected to join the U.S. delegation.
km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter