“Don’t play with us,” US Vice President JD Vance warned Iran on Friday as he flew to Islamabad, Pakistan, to lead high-level talks aimed at ending weeks of conflict in the Middle East.“We look forward to the conversation. I think it will be positive. We’ll certainly see,” the US vice president said as he boarded Air Force Two.
Referring to Donald Trump, Vance said, “As the President of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend an open hand.”“If they try to play with us, they will find that the team is not that receptive to talks. We will try to have positive talks,” he said.Vance said Trump had given the delegation “some clear guidelines” on how negotiations should proceed, though he did not elaborate.The visit comes after the White House announced on Wednesday that Trump had tasked Vance with helping resolve the six-week war, as the US president escalated his rhetoric, including threats to wipe out Iran’s “entire civilization.”
High level delegation leaves for Pakistan
Vance is leading the US delegation to Pakistan for mediation talks, which also includes special envoy Steve Witkoff and former senior adviser Jared Kushner.The White House has provided limited details about whether the talks will be direct or indirect, but officials say teams at the National Security Council, State Department and Pentagon also will support the talks.
Fragile ceasefire?
The talks are taking place amid a fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, which has created a narrow window for diplomacy. However, key differences remain.Iran has insisted that any ceasefire must include an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon, while Israel and the US have refused to link the two. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that action against Hezbollah will continue.Also, Washington has demanded that Iran ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that Tehran had blocked amid rising tensions.Trump on Thursday criticized Iran’s handling of maritime traffic, saying it was doing a “very bad job” by allowing oil tankers, saying on social media, “This is not the deal we made!”Vance’s visit is a rare moment of high-level engagement between the US and Iran. Direct contact between the two countries has been limited since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with only occasional successes such as talks during the Obama administration, the Associated Press reports.
voting
What do you think about America’s current diplomatic strategy toward Iran?
Despite diplomatic pressure, analysts say the path to a lasting agreement remains difficult, with both sides under political pressure and key issues including regional conflicts and nuclear concerns still unresolved.For now, the Islamabad talks are being seen as a key test of whether the fragile ceasefire can hold and evolve into a more durable peace.