Trump says Iran deal to be signed 'tonight' in Islamabad

US President Donald Trump has said an agreement with Iran would be signed "tonight" in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Iran's participation in a potential second round of talks remains uncertain. However, Trump told Fox News in a phone interview on Sunday that a deal will be signed.

Trump warned that if no deal was signed, he would "blow up every single power plant and bridge in Iran."

Iran has neither confirmed the claim nor announced a decision to send a delegation to Islamabad. However, Pakistani sources told the New York Post that Tehran was "willing for a second round," but that "no decision has been taken about" it.

In a separate interview with Bloomberg News, Trump said it is “highly unlikely” he would extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran if no agreement is reached before its expiration.

Trump said the ceasefire with Iran expires “Wednesday evening Washington time.”

He also added the Strait of Hormuz would remain blocked until a deal is finalized, signaling continued pressure on Tehran.

Trump told PBS that "lots of bombs start going off" if the current ceasefire expires without a deal. Regarding his expectations for the negotiating team in Islamabad, he stated his goal is "no nuclear weapons," adding: "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Very simple.

He admitted that he did not know for certain if Tehran would participate. "They're supposed to be there. We agreed to be there ... if they're not there, that's fine too," the US president said.

Trump told the New York Post on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had already left for Islamabad and were expected to arrive at night local time.

However, there are conflicting reports on whether Trump's statements reflect the reality as multiple media outlets suggest Vance is still in Washington.

He dismissed Iranian statements suggesting Tehran would not participate in the latest round of talks. "We're supposed to have the talks," he said. "So I would assume at this point nobody's playing games."

Trump also signaled openness to meeting directly with senior Iranian leaders if a breakthrough is achieved, saying he had "no problem meeting them" if they wished to do so.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said reports that Israel told him to go into the war with Iran are not correct. "Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, did," he said.

The US president claimed that the results in Iran "will be amazing," as it did with the US military operation in Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro in January. "If Iran’s new leaders (Regime Change!) are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future," he added.

Pakistan hosted the first direct high-level US-Iran engagement on April 11-12, the first such contact since the two countries severed diplomatic ties in 1979, but those talks ended without a breakthrough.

* Contribution by Rabia Iclal Turan.