Soldiers armed with rifles are deployed on major roads in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on April 20 (local time), as the United States and Iran prepare for a second round of peace talks. [Yonhap News]

It is anticipated that the United States and Iran will meet again in Pakistan as the ceasefire deadline approaches, attempting to reach a peace agreement.

However, as both sides continue to exchange pressure-laden messages and Iran has not yet officially announced its participation in the talks, uncertainty persists until the last moment regarding the success of the negotiations.

Iran has informed those mediating dialogue between Iran and the U.S. that it will send a negotiation team to Pakistan, according to a report by the American daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 20th (local time), citing sources.

CNN, also citing sources, reported that a second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran is scheduled to take place on the morning of the 22nd in Islamabad, Pakistan.

According to CNN, a U.S. delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance will depart for Pakistan on the morning of the 21st, while the Iranian side will be led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament.

Vice President Vance and Speaker Ghalibaf led their respective delegations in the first round of negotiations held in Islamabad, Pakistan, on the 11th.

While confirmation of President Trump's travel is pending, U.S. media reports indicate that Vice President Vance is scheduled to depart for Pakistan late on the 20th or on the 21st.

Consequently, it appears highly probable that the delegations of both countries will meet just before the ceasefire deadline expires.

The two countries agreed to a 14-day ceasefire on the 7th, but President Trump's statement in a media interview that the ceasefire deadline was the evening of the 22nd, Eastern Time, effectively extended the truce by one day.

The time is still extremely tight to reach an agreement, and concerns are being raised in some quarters as to whether the negotiations will proceed smoothly, given that both sides are engaging in public opinion warfare rather than seeking de-escalation.

U.S. Vice President Vance boarding a private jet after the first peace talks with Iran [AFP=Yonhap News]

In the first round of talks, both sides failed to find common ground on key issues such as uranium enrichment limits, the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the easing of sanctions against Iran. Since then, they have continued to engage in behind-the-scenes dialogue through Pakistan.

Iran appears unwilling to concede easily this time as well.

On his X (formerly Twitter) account on the 20th, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, criticized the U.S. blockade of Iran and warned, "We will not accept negotiations conducted under the shadow of threats."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also stated, "The signals recently sent by U.S. officials are unconstructive and contradictory," adding, "The Iranian people will never succumb to coercion or force."

However, the underlying intentions of Iran reported by foreign media are more complex.

The Iranian leadership recognizes the need for a peace agreement with the U.S. to improve its dire economic situation, but they deeply distrust the Trump administration due to past incidents where the U.S. attacked Iran during previous dialogue periods.

Concurrently, they are concerned about power struggles with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and hardliners, whose influence has grown due to the war with the U.S., and must prevent them from dragging Iran back into war.

Foreign media, including The New York Times (NYT), have assessed that due to these difficulties, Iran is outwardly projecting a hardline stance while quietly preparing for negotiations.

The Iranian delegation during the first peace talks with the U.S. [EPA=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, President Trump appears optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Iran and is busy responding to domestic criticism and media reports regarding the current war.

President Trump claimed on his social media platform Truth Social that the nuclear agreement currently being discussed with Iran would be much better than the one negotiated under the Obama administration in 2015, which he later abandoned. He also reiterated that he had completely destroyed Iran's nuclear facilities through airstrikes last June.

CNN reported that while the U.S. and Iran appeared close to an agreement over the weekend, President Trump, despite his staff's dissuasion, has been obstructing the talks by publicly revealing details that Iran has not yet agreed to as if they were finalized, through media and social media.

According to CNN, U.S. negotiators hope to reach at least a broad agreement in the second round of talks and then finalize the details over several weeks, but there are opposing voices to this approach, as it could give Iran time to recover its missile systems buried by bombings.

In the meantime, Islamabad is busy preparing to host the delegations.

Security has been significantly enhanced, similar to the first round of talks, with checkpoints and barricades set up at various points on the roads to control movement, and armed soldiers maintaining vigilance.

Local soldiers are controlling access at the entrance of the Faisal Mosque, the largest Islamic mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 20 (local time), as the U.S. and Iran prepare for a second round of peace talks. [Yonhap News]