Iran refused to attend a second round of Pakistan-mediated peace talks on April 19-20, 2026, after the U.S. seized an Iranian cargo ship — which Iran called piracy and a ceasefire violation — and Trump threatened that “the whole country is going to get blown up” if Iran refused a deal.
Iran's official IRNA news agency rejected claims it would participate in planned talks, calling the announcement “a media game and part of the blame game to pressure Iran.” Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf: “Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn the negotiating table into a table of surrender.”
Trump also threatened to “knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran” with the ceasefire set to expire Wednesday. Iran's condition for negotiations: Trump must lift the naval blockade first, which Iran views as itself a ceasefire violation.
Trita Parsi (Quincy Institute): Trump prioritizes “the optics of victory over actually getting a deal.” The pattern repeats: Trump makes maximal threats → Iran refuses to negotiate under threats → Trump claims Iran is unreasonable → cycle continues while gas stays above $4 and 13 U.S. soldiers remain dead.
This is the third round of negotiations to collapse. The first (April 3) ended with Trump bombing during talks. The second (April 12, Islamabad) lasted 21 hours before Trump ordered the blockade. Now Iran won't even attend the third after Trump seized their ship and threatened total destruction.