Vice President Vance has so far hesitated to justify the war against Iran and is known as the most cautious member of Trump's inner circle when it comes to this conflict. Known for his long-standing skepticism toward foreign military interventions and vocal opposition to sending American troops into "endless wars," Vance traveled to Islamabad on Friday with a single goal. "His mission is to find a way out of the war with Iran," a source told the Daily Mail.
Warnings and Expectations According to The Guardian, Vance began his mission with a sharp warning to Iran "not to play games" with the U.S., but soon toned down his rhetoric. "We look forward to the talks. I think they will be positive, but of course, we'll see," Vance said on his way to the official Air Force Two aircraft. He confirmed media reports by acknowledging that President Trump had given them "pretty clear instructions." Quoting the White House chief, Vance added: "If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are ready to extend an open hand. But if they try to deceive us, they will find that we won't fall for it."
Vance will be joined in Pakistan by Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner. This duo had already participated in three rounds of indirect negotiations before February 28, when the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran marked the beginning of the war. The goal of those talks was to alleviate American concerns regarding Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its support for terrorist groups in the Middle East.
Diplomat vs. Marine As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Iranian delegation has already arrived in Islamabad. It is led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. American media highlight a clear contrast: while Araghchi is an experienced career diplomat, Vance, who served as a Marine in Iraq and spent two years as a senator from Ohio, has very little negotiation and diplomatic experience.
A great deal of uncertainty still hangs over the negotiations themselves. According to the BBC, Tehran has repeatedly emphasized that the participation of its representatives depends on strict adherence to a ceasefire across the entire Middle East, including Lebanon. However, Israel violates this rule with continuous attacks on targets of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir made it clear on Friday that the Israeli military has not agreed to any truce with Hezbollah.
Additional tensions ahead of the peace talks were introduced by Trump himself, accusing Iran of breaking its promise to open the Strait of Hormuz. "That is not a deal we have," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday night into Friday, alluding to the terms that enabled the declaration of the two-week ceasefire currently in effect.
Recall that the U.S. and Israel began airstrikes on Iran on February 28, triggering a broader regional war. On Wednesday evening, the American president announced the start of a ceasefire, after which the attacks were halted.
The truce was mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who also announced peace talks in Islamabad aimed at fully resolving the dispute. Although the talks were initially scheduled for Friday, the new negotiation date has been moved to Saturday. The White House has yet to release official details on the format of the talks, whether they will be direct or indirect, or what exactly they expect from this historic meeting.