U.S. Delegation to Pakistan for Peace Talks with Iran
ISLAMABAD — Vice President J.D. Vance, along with a U.S. delegation, is expected to arrive in Pakistan within hours to participate in peace discussions with Iran, as President Trump mentioned in an interview on Monday. He expressed his willingness to meet with senior Iranian officials if a significant breakthrough in negotiations is achieved.
“We should have talks,” Trump stated, aiming to clarify that he doesn’t foresee any breakdown in negotiations. “I don’t think anyone is playing the game at this point.”
The president confirmed that a high-level U.S. team, including Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner, is en route to Islamabad for the negotiations. “They’re on their way now,” he added shortly after 9 a.m. ET. “They’ll be there tonight, [Islamabad] time.”
This trip highlights the urgency of the discussions, occurring just days before a cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire amid escalating tensions in the region. Trump indicated he might be ready for a significant diplomatic engagement if the opportunity presents itself.
“I have no problem meeting with them,” he remarked. “If they want to meet, and we have some very talented people, I have no problem meeting them.”
Central to the negotiations is a firm demand: Iran must cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. “Get rid of their nuclear weapons. It’s that simple,” he asserted, adding that nuclear arms should no longer exist. He noted that Iran could thrive if it complies with this demand.
“It’s a great country otherwise. It really could be,” Trump remarked. Yet, he refrained from detailing the potential repercussions for Tehran if it fails to comply or if negotiations falter, especially with the cease-fire deadline approaching.
When asked if the U.S. would consider escalating its actions, such as seizing more ships associated with Iran, he replied, “I don’t want to get into that. You can imagine that. It wouldn’t be very pretty.”
In response to whether the U.S. knows who is in charge in Iran, Trump confidently said, “We think we have a pretty good idea and we have the right people in place.”
