Vance led the delegation for talks with Iran in Islamabad
On Friday, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance traveled to Pakistan to try to reach an agreement with Iran on resolving the nuclear dispute and ending the war. Meanwhile, representatives from Tehran have already arrived in the country where the talks will take place.
A U.S. official reported this in comments to Axios and CNN.
“This is a very important event for J.D. Vance. He’s heading to the summit,” the official said.
As journalists note, this could be the most significant high-level interaction between U.S. and Iranian officials since 1979. At the same time, the chances of success are considered low: the parties realize that a failure of the talks could lead to a resumption of war, and their approaches to key issues differ significantly.
“We have still not reached an agreement on the issue we are negotiating,” said another U.S. official.
The talks are expected to begin on Saturday in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. The dialogue will take place directly between the parties, with Pakistani officials acting as mediators.
Joining Vance in the talks will be Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as representatives from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Pentagon.
“We are looking forward to the talks. I think they will go well... If the Iranians are ready to negotiate in good faith, we are ready to extend a helping hand to them... but if they try to manipulate us, they will find that the negotiating team is not so receptive to that,” Vance emphasized.
It is noted that Vance specifically led the U.S. delegation, in part due to tensions between Trump’s envoys and the Iranian side following two previous rounds of negotiations that ended in a stalemate.
Iranian officials had previously told mediators that, in their view, Witkoff and Kushner had deceived them. At the same time, the participation of Vance, who is skeptical about the outbreak of war, could help achieve progress.
“Vance asked for the ball, and he got it. He can take responsibility for striking a deal that will end the war,” an American official emphasized.
Although the vice president’s dispatch signals the seriousness of Washington’s intentions, some officials fear that such a move may be premature, as preparations for the talks are not yet complete.
Currently, the U.S. acknowledges that it is unclear whether significant progress can be achieved during the first round of talks. At the same time, the parties hope that the meeting will not be purely formal. It is expected that reaching a potential agreement could take weeks or even months.
Meanwhile, the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has already arrived in Islamabad. The delegation also includes Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other high-ranking officials.
As a reminder, U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding that European allies present concrete plans within a few days to ensure the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Recall that U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, during which the parties plan to finalize a definitive agreement.
Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping for two weeks—for the duration of the ceasefire with the U.S. This agreement is part of broader negotiations on de-escalation in the region.
According to anonymous sources, Chinese officials held talks with Iranian representatives to encourage Tehran to cooperate and facilitate a ceasefire with the United States.
