As the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline looms, here are the main sticking points

As the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline looms, here are the main sticking points April 21, 20268:24 AM ET By  NPR Staff A member of Pakistani security personnel looks over a checkpoint from a police booth amid heightened security ahead of a potential meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials on April 20, 2026 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Rebecca Conway/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Rebecca Conway/Getty Images Vice President Vance is expected to travel to Islamabad soon to lead the U.S. delegation for a second round of peace talks with Iran ahead of the expiration of a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday. Middle East conflict What's it like to negotiate with Iran? We asked people who have done it But the prospects for renewed diplomacy remain unclear. Iranian state media said Tuesday that no Iranian delegations have traveled to Islamabad "so far," while President Trump told Bloomberg News on Monday that a renewal of the ceasefire was "highly unlikely." Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator and parliament speaker, accused the United States late Monday of forcing Iran to the negotiating table and said that on the contrary, Iran has been preparing "to reveal new cards on the battlefield." "We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats," Qalibaf wrote in a post on social media. Representatives from more than a dozen foreign diplomatic missions, United Nations offices, and the media view damage at sites previously targeted by US-Israeli strikes, on April 20, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe hide caption toggle caption Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe Officials in Islamabad say the city remains ready to host the talks, though Pakistan's government has given no formal indication about the status of its ongoing mediation efforts. Sponsor Message The first round of talks, held just over a week ago in Islamabad, ended without an agreement. Vance later accused Iran of refusing to accept Washington's terms on Iran's plans for nucl...