UN chief says resumption of US-Iran talks ‘highly probable’

NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday there is a strong likelihood that U.S.-Iran negotiations will resume soon, voicing optimism about the survival of the current ceasefire and urging both sides to keep talking.

“The indication we have is that it is highly probable that these talks will restart,” Guterres told reporters at the UN, adding: “I consider it essential that these negotiations go on. It would be unrealistic to expect such a complex, long-lasting problem to be resolved in the first session of a negotiation.”

Guterres said he met Tuesday with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and praised Islamabad’s peace efforts. President Trump separately told the New York Post that “something could be happening over the next two days” and that Washington was “more inclined to go there,” referring to Pakistan.

Trump praised Pakistan’s Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as doing a “great job” on the talks. Gulf, Pakistani and Iranian officials also indicated that negotiating teams could return to Pakistan later this week, though a senior Iranian source said no date had been set.

The two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8 remains in place, with roughly one week left to run. Key disputes include access to the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program and international sanctions.

Since the war began February 28, Iran has effectively closed the strait to nearly all vessels, saying passage would be permitted only under Iranian control and subject to fees. The US military has countered by blocking shipping traffic in and out of Iranian ports.

Signs that diplomatic engagement could continue helped calm oil markets, pushing benchmark crude prices below $100 on Tuesday.