Iran Says No Date Set for Next Round of Negotiations With US

Source: US News & World Report/Reuters

April 18, 2026, at 7:43 a.m.


ANTALYA, Turkey, April 18 (Reuters) - No date ⁠has ⁠been set for the next ⁠round of negotiations between Iran and the United States, Iran's deputy foreign ​minister said on Saturday, adding that a framework of understanding must be agreed first. The highest-level U.S.-Iran ‌talks since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ‌ended in Islamabad without agreement last weekend.

U.S. President Donald Trump has told Reuters there ⁠would probably ⁠be more direct talks this weekend, though some diplomats said that ​was unlikely given the logistics of convening in Islamabad, where the talks are expected to take place.

"We are now focusing on finalising the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to ​enter into any negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can ⁠be a ⁠pretext for another round ⁠of escalation," ​Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in the southern Turkish ​province of Antalya.

"Until we agree ⁠the framework, we cannot set the date... There was significant progress made actually. But then the maximalist approach by the other side, trying to make Iran an exception from international law prevented us to reach an agreement," he said, referring to U.S. demands over Iran's ⁠nuclear programme. "I have to be very crystal clear that Iran would not accept ⁠to be an exception from the international law. Anything that we are going to be committed will be within the international regulations and international law."

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-04-18/iran-says-no-date-set-for-next-round-of-negotiations-with-us