Iran war: Peace talks on hold, what's next?
What you need to know
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit Pakistan again after his trip to Oman
- Pakistan said it was committed to mediating between Tehran and Washington
Here are the latest developments in the Iran war on Sunday, April 26
Skip next section Oman's Sultan meets Iran's Araghchi, state news reports04/26/2026April 26, 2026Oman's Sultan meets Iran's Araghchi, state news reports
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said in Muscat on Sunday, Oman's state news agency said.
The two sides held discussions on the situation in the Middle East and mediation efforts at ending the Iran war, it added.
Araghchi arrived in Oman after meeting senior Pakistan officials in Islamabad on Saturday.
He is expected to return to Pakistan after visiting Muscat, according to Iran's state media.
The top Iranian diplomat is also scheduled to visit Russia.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CpoVSkip next section Iran executes man allegedly linked to militant group — reports04/26/2026April 26, 2026Iran executes man allegedly linked to militant group — reports
Iran on Sunday continued a series of daily executions, killing a man convicted of being a member of the outlawed Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl and carrying out attacks on security forces, Iranian media reports said.
Authorities identified the man as Amer Ramesh, saying that he was arrested during a counterterrorism operation in the Pirsahrab area of southeastern Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan, according to the reports.
He was convicted of "armed rebellion through bomb attacks and ambushes targeting military forces," as well as membership of Jaish al-Adl, the Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website said.
Jaish al-Adl, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, is active in Sistan-Baluchestan — the country's poorest region.
Talks stall once more as Iran war enters 58th day
All eyes were on Pakistan's capital of Islamabad on Saturday amid anticipation of a resumption of negotiations between the US and Iran. But Iran's top diplomat departed from the city after meeting senior Pakistani officials, and US President Donald Trump pulled the plug on a scheduled visit by his envoys.
The events marked another impasse in peace talks as a second attempt to get Washington and Tehran to the table for dialogue aimed at ending the war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, army chief Asim Munir and other key officials on what he called red lines for negotiations.
He described his trip to Islamabad as "very fruitful."
"Shared Iran's position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the US.is truly serious about diplomacy," Araghchi wrote on X.
Trump scrapped the visit of his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff to Pakistan, saying there was no point "sitting around talking about nothing" but adding the war would not immediately resume.
Trump said the ball was in Tehran's court.
"If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
With US and Iran holding firm on their terms and not meeting face-to-face for negotiations, uncertainly clouds the Iran war, which has triggered a global energy crisis amid a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
A fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US, which was extended by Trump this week, is currently in place.
Trump told Axios that the cancellation of Kushner and Witkoff's trip would not necessarily mean a return to hostilities.
"No, it doesn't mean that. We haven't thought about it yet," the US news outlet quoted the president as saying.
The first round of talks in Islamabad earlier this month was led on the US side by Vice President JD Vance. They ended after 21 hours with no progress towards a deal.
Trump has since said that a ceasefire would be extended indefinitely, while continuing to issue threats towards Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CpcxSkip next section Welcome to our coverage04/26/2026April 26, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Dharvi Vaid | Sean Sinico EditorThank you for joining our Sunday coverage of the Middle East as uncertainty continues over whether the United States and Iran will resume negotiations after the possibility of a second round of talks in Pakistan fell flat.
But first, here's a wrap of Saturday's events:
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrapped up his trip to Pakistan without engaging in direct talks with US officials. He is slated to return to Islamabad after visiting Oman, according to Iranian state media.
As Agrachi left, he cast doubts on US commitments to a peace dialogue.
"Have yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy," he said.
US President Donald Trump ordered his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — who were expected in Islamabad on Saturday — not to travel to Pakistan.
"You're not going to be making any more 18 hour flights to sit around talking about nothing," Trump reportedly told the delegation over a phone call.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said Israeli strikes killed four people in the country's south, despite a ceasefire that was extended earlier in the week in the war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.
Turkey said it would consider taking part in operations to demine the critical Strait of Hormuz waterway if the US reaches a peace deal with Iran.
Germany said it will dispatch ships to the Mediterranean in preparation for a possible deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest headlines.
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