Vance arrives in Pakistan for Iran ceasefire talks with Witkoff and Kushner

Vice President JD Vance is ready to reach in Pakistan early Saturday, the place he’ll lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed toward preserving a fragile ceasefire and stopping a broader regional struggle.

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 International 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 Feb. 28 — a sweeping army marketing campaign focusing on Iran’s army infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear negotiations.

Vice President JD Vance spoke to reporters earlier than boarding Air Drive Two at Budapest Ferenc Liszt Worldwide Airport on April 8, 2026, in Budapest, Hungary.  (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Photographs)

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That operation pushed the U.S. and Iran to the brink of a floor struggle 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 crucial international delivery route.

Whereas Iran signaled it might enable passage by way of the strait as a part of the settlement, visitors stays severely disrupted, with delivery firms 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 staff will not be that receptive,” Vance stated, including he nonetheless expects the talks to be “constructive.”

The result of the talks might 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 stated it accepted the two-week ceasefire however warned “this doesn’t signify the termination of the struggle,” 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 might jeopardize the talks, highlighting a key dispute with Israel and the U.S., which have argued Lebanon will not be coated 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 function is already going through scrutiny.

Pakistan’s protection minister, Khawaja Asif, sparked backlash lately 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 getting into the International Ministry workplace in Islamabad April 9, 2026. (Aamir QURESHI / AFP through Getty Photographs)

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 stated, “we don’t belief Pakistan.”

Pakistani officers haven’t immediately addressed the controversy surrounding Asif’s remarks however have defended their broader function, emphasizing Islamabad’s efforts to dealer the ceasefire and facilitate talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has referred to as for “dialogue and diplomacy,” whereas officers say each Washington and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan’s mediation.

The talks are additionally unfolding in opposition to a difficult safety backdrop.

U.S. officers have lengthy handled Pakistan as a high-threat surroundings 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, advised Fox Information Digital the risk surroundings in Pakistan traditionally has ranked among the many most extreme confronted by U.S. protecting groups, requiring fixed coordination and heightened precautions.

“The risk surroundings in Pakistan was one of many worst the Secret Service had ever operated in,” Gage stated 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 ready to host peace talks between Iran and the U.S. April 11, 2026.  (Farooq NAEEM / AFP through Getty Photographs)

Pakistan continues to grapple with persistent terrorism threats. 

The State Division at present 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 aid and broader regional safety points.

Whether or not the talks produce an enduring 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.