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Vice President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday, the place he’s main high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed toward preserving a fragile ceasefire and stopping a broader regional warfare.
Vance is joined by U.S. Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, as a part of a senior delegation partaking Iranian officers in Islamabad.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf might be negotiating for Iran.
The talks, scheduled for Saturday, come over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28 — a sweeping navy marketing campaign focusing on Iran’s navy infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear negotiations.
Vice President JD Vance (C) shakes palms with Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Military Employees Discipline Marshall Asim Munir (L), as Cost d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad Natalie A. Baker (2L), and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and International Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar (R) look on, after arriving for talks with Iranian officers on April 11, 2026, at Islamabad, Pakistan. (Jacquelyn Martin – Pool/Getty Photos)
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That operation pushed the U.S. and Iran to the brink of a floor warfare earlier than a tenuous diplomatic breakthrough in latest days.
Trump introduced a two-week ceasefire Tuesday, agreeing to droop additional U.S. strikes on the situation that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a essential international delivery route.
Whereas Iran signaled it will permit passage via the strait as a part of the settlement, visitors stays severely disrupted, with delivery corporations hesitant to renew regular operations amid ongoing safety issues and uncertainty over enforcement.
Vance struck a cautious tone earlier than departing, warning Iran to not check the U.S. negotiating posture.
“In the event that they’re gonna try to play us, then they’re gonna discover that the negotiating crew will not be that receptive,” Vance mentioned, including he nonetheless expects the talks to be “optimistic.”
The end result of the talks may decide whether or not the ceasefire holds or collapses into renewed hostilities, as each side stay deeply divided after weeks of battle.
Iranian officers have struck a cautious and conditional tone forward of the talks.
Iran’s Supreme Nationwide Safety Council mentioned it accepted the two-week ceasefire however warned “this doesn’t signify the termination of the warfare,” including that “our palms stay upon the set off” if the settlement is violated.
Vance described the settlement Wednesday as a “fragile truce.”
Iran additionally has tied the success of the ceasefire to developments in Lebanon, insisting that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah should cease as a part of any broader settlement. Tehran has warned that continued assaults may jeopardize the talks, highlighting a key dispute with Israel and the U.S., which have argued Lebanon will not be lined by the truce.
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Pakistan has emerged as a key middleman, positioning itself as a impartial venue between Washington and Iran after serving to dealer the preliminary truce. However that position is already dealing with scrutiny.
Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, sparked backlash not too long ago after calling Israel’s actions a “curse on humanity” in a now-deleted X submit and, in a separate trade, saying critics ought to “burn in hell.”
Safety personnel examine autos coming into the International Ministry workplace in Islamabad April 9, 2026. (Aamir QURESHI / AFP through Getty Photos)
The remarks drew a pointy response from Israeli officers, who questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a impartial dealer. Israeli leaders described the feedback as “outrageous” and warned such rhetoric was incompatible with serving as a mediator, whereas Israel’s ambassador to India publicly mentioned, “we don’t belief Pakistan.”
Pakistani officers haven’t straight addressed the controversy surrounding Asif’s remarks however have defended their broader position, emphasizing Islamabad’s efforts to dealer the ceasefire and facilitate talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has known as for “dialogue and diplomacy,” whereas officers say each Washington and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan’s mediation.
The talks are additionally unfolding towards a difficult safety backdrop.
U.S. officers have lengthy handled Pakistan as a high-threat atmosphere for official journey, with strict motion controls and layered safety measures sometimes required for American personnel.
Invoice Gage, a former Secret Service agent who traveled to Islamabad with President George W. Bush, informed Fox Information Digital the risk atmosphere in Pakistan traditionally has ranked among the many most extreme confronted by U.S. protecting groups, requiring fixed coordination and heightened precautions.
“The risk atmosphere in Pakistan was one of many worst the Secret Service had ever operated in,” Gage mentioned of his expertise in 2006. “We had been briefed that al-Qaeda wished to kidnap an agent, so we all the time needed to be in pairs.”
Islamabad is about to host peace talks between Iran and the U.S. April 11, 2026. (Farooq NAEEM / AFP through Getty Photos)
Pakistan continues to grapple with persistent terrorism threats.
The State Division at the moment classifies the nation as a Stage 3 journey threat, warning of potential assaults, crime and kidnapping, and noting that extremist teams have carried out strikes in main cities, together with Islamabad.
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Nonetheless, U.S. officers view the Islamabad assembly as a uncommon opening for diplomacy, with discussions anticipated to incorporate nuclear restrictions, sanctions reduction and broader regional safety points.
Whether or not the talks produce a long-lasting breakthrough or plunge the Center East again into battle might hinge on whether or not each Washington and Iran are keen to maneuver past many years of distrust.
