Summary of this article
President Trump stated that fresh peace talks with Iran are "possible" within the next 36 to 72 hours.
Tehran quickly denied the claim, while U.S. intelligence reports an "absolute fracture" between Iran's civilian leaders, military, and the Supreme Leader.
The current ceasefire has been extended for a few days to allow Iran time to present a unified proposal, though a U.S. naval blockade remains in place.
President Donald Trump has signaled that a second round of peace talks with Iran could take place as soon as Friday, stating that negotiations are possible within the next 36 to 72 hours. The announcement comes amid a rapidly shifting diplomatic landscape where the U.S. has extended a fragile ceasefire while accusing Tehran of internal fractures and an inability to present a unified negotiating front.
In an exclusive exchange with the New York Post on Wednesday, Trump responded to questions about a potential breakthrough by simply texting: "It’s possible! President DJT”.
However, the optimism from Washington was immediately met with sharp resistance from Tehran. Iranian state media and officials swiftly pushed back against the U.S. narrative, with the semi-official Tasnim News Agency accusing the President of lying. “Trump said a second round of talks will be held on Friday, but he lied again,” the agency reported, adding that Iran has not yet decided to participate in any new negotiations. The Iranian Foreign Ministry reiterated that it would only engage in dialogue if it aligns with national interests.
The mixed signals regarding the talks stem from what U.S. intelligence describes as a severe power struggle within the Iranian government. According to U.S. officials who spoke to Axios and Newsmax, the White House has identified an “absolute fracture” between Iran’s civilian negotiators, the military leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the office of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei .
This internal chaos led to the dramatic collapse of a planned trip by Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad earlier this week. Air Force Two remained on the tarmac for hours before the trip was scrapped because Iran failed to confirm it would send a delegation .
To buy time for diplomacy, Trump announced on Tuesday that he was extending the current ceasefire. Unlike previous extensions that had strict deadlines, the President tied the truce to the submission of a “unified proposal” 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
While U.S. officials told Axios the extension is likely only for “three to five days” to allow Iran to “get their shit together,” Trump’s language left the door open for a longer pause if negotiations gain traction .
For now, the world watches the clock. With a potential 72-hour deadline looming, the next few days will determine whether the U.S. and Iran move toward a historic detente or return to open conflict.
