President Donald Trump indicated Wednesday that renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran could resume within days, even as behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts continue to gain traction through Pakistani intermediaries.

Sources in Islamabad told the New York Post that encouraging developments in talks with Iranian officials could lead to an announcement within the next “36 to 72 hours,” describing the current atmosphere as one of cautious optimism driven by active diplomatic engagement.

When asked directly about the possibility of a breakthrough, Trump replied in a message to the outlet, “It’s possible! President DJT.”

The potential for renewed talks comes as the administration has given Iran a limited timeframe to resolve internal disagreements and present a unified negotiating position, according to U.S. officials who spoke with Axios. Without such cohesion, the ceasefire Trump extended earlier this week could unravel.

American negotiators remain hopeful that a broader agreement addressing both the conflict and Iran’s nuclear ambitions can still be reached. At the same time, officials are increasingly concerned that divisions within Iran’s leadership may prevent any binding agreement from being finalized.

“We saw that there is an absolute fracture inside Iran between the negotiators and the military — with neither side having access to the supreme leader, who is not responsive,” a U.S. official said.

According to U.S. officials, these internal rifts became evident following earlier discussions held in Islamabad, when senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps figures, including Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, rejected key points that had been tentatively accepted by Iran’s civilian negotiating team.

Those divisions later played out publicly when Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, only to have IRGC leadership refuse to follow through and openly criticize the announcement.

In the aftermath, Iran did not provide a meaningful reply to the most recent U.S. proposal and avoided committing to another round of negotiations in Pakistan.

The situation has been further complicated by instability at the top levels of Iran’s leadership following the assassination of former national security figure Ali Larijani, who had previously served as a central coordinator in the country’s decision-making process, U.S. officials said.

His replacement, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, has reportedly struggled to unify the competing factions within Iran’s military and political leadership, as well as maintain coordination with the supreme leader.

Plans for Vice President JD Vance to travel to Islamabad for the next phase of negotiations were ultimately abandoned after Iran failed to confirm its participation.

Air Force Two remained stationed for hours at Joint Base Andrews before the mission was called off. Meanwhile, senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner adjusted their schedules and returned to Washington.

Following consultations with his national security team—including Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine—Trump chose to prolong the ceasefire rather than pursue additional military action.

“The degree of the fracture became clear in the last few days, and the question was: does it make any sense to go to Islamabad like that?” a U.S. official said. “So the decision was to give the diplomatic efforts a little bit more time.”

Officials in Washington and allied governments say Trump now appears more inclined to bring the conflict to a close after achieving significant military objectives, though the option of renewed strikes remains on the table if talks collapse.

“It certainly looks like Trump doesn’t want to use military force anymore and has made a decision to end the war,” one U.S. source close to Trump said.

The latest developments follow Trump’s announcement Tuesday that the ceasefire would remain in place as the U.S. waits for a consolidated response from Tehran.

“I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” he said in a post on Truth Social.

In another post, Trump highlighted the growing financial strain on Iran.

“Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately – Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!” he wrote.

He also pointed to the blockade as a central pressure point in negotiations.

“Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day,” Trump wrote. “They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to save face.”

Meanwhile, Pakistani officials have continued quiet diplomatic outreach to Iranian counterparts as part of an ongoing effort to facilitate another round of talks, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

“The ceasefire is holding despite heightened rhetoric, indicating positive intent on both sides,” the source said. “No military escalation from either side.”

“Pakistan remains the key mediator,” the person added, noting that Islamabad is actively coordinating with both Washington and Tehran in an attempt to bring the sides back to the negotiating table.

{Matzav.com}