Vance arrives in Pakistan where he will meet with Witkoff and Kushner to negotiate an end to the conflict in Iran
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Vice President JD Vance is expected to arrive in Pakistan early Saturday, where he will lead high-level talks with Iran aimed at securing a fragile ceasefire and preventing a regional war.
Vance is joined by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a high-level negotiating team with Iranian officials in Islamabad.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will discuss Iran.
The talks, scheduled for Saturday, come more than a month after the US launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28 – an intense military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear talks.
Vice President JD Vance speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force Two at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport on April 8, 2026, in Budapest, Hungary. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)
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That operation pushed the US and Iran to the brink of a ground war ahead of a tense diplomatic development in recent days.
Trump announced a two-week moratorium on Tuesday, agreeing to halt further US strikes on the condition that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane around the world.
While Iran has signed to allow passage as part of the deal, traffic remains severely disrupted, with shipping companies hesitant to resume normal operations amid ongoing security concerns and uncertainty over enforcement.
Vance spoke cautiously before leaving, warning Iran not to test America’s negotiating position.
“If they’re going to try to call us, they’re going to find out that the negotiating team doesn’t agree that way,” Vance said, adding that he still expects the negotiations to be “good.”
The outcome of these talks could determine whether the ceasefire holds or will collapse into renewed conflict, as the two sides remain deeply divided after weeks of conflict.
Iranian officials have sounded a cautious and conditional tone ahead of the talks.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it welcomed the two-week ceasefire but warned “this does not mean the end of the war,” adding that “our hands are on the gun” if the deal is violated.
Vance described the deal Wednesday as a “fragile deal.”
Iran has also tied the ceasefire’s success to developments in Lebanon, insisting that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah must stop as part of any comprehensive deal. Tehran has warned that continued attacks could jeopardize the talks, highlighting a major row with Israel and the US, which say Lebanon is not included in the deal.
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Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator, positioning itself as a neutral point between Washington and Iran after helping brokers agree to an initial deal. But that role is already facing scrutiny.
Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, sparked controversy recently after calling Israel’s actions a “curse on humanity” in a now-deleted X blog post and, in a separate exchange, saying critics should “burn in hell.”
Security personnel inspect vehicles entering the Foreign Ministry office in Islamabad on April 9, 2026. (Aamir QURESHI / AFP via Getty Images)
The remarks drew a sharp response from Israeli officials, who questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a neutral trader. Israeli leaders described the comments as “offensive” and warned that such talk is incompatible with acting as a mediator, while Israel’s ambassador to India said publicly, “we do not trust Pakistan.”
Pakistani officials did not directly address the controversy surrounding Asif’s remarks but defended their broader role, stressing Islamabad’s efforts to soften the ceasefire and facilitate talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for “dialogue and dialogue,” while officials said Washington and Iran expressed confidence in Pakistan’s mediation.
Negotiations are also ongoing against a challenging security environment.
American officials have long treated Pakistan as a dangerous place for legal travel, with strict movement controls and limited security measures required for American workers.
Bill Gage, a former Secret Service agent who went to Islamabad with President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital that Pakistan’s threat environment is historically ranked among the US security forces that face it, requiring continued cooperation and heightened security measures.
“The terror situation in Pakistan was one of the worst the Secret Service has ever worked on,” Gage said of his experience in 2006. “We were told that al-Qaeda wanted to kidnap an agent, so we had to stay in pairs.”
Islamabad will host peace talks between Iran and the US on April 11, 2026. (Farooq NAEEM / AFP via Getty Images)
Pakistan continues to face persistent terrorist threats.
The State Department currently classifies the country as a Level 3 travel risk, warning of possible attacks, crimes and kidnappings, and notes that extremist groups have carried out strikes in major cities, including Islamabad.
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Still, US officials view the Islamabad meeting as a rare opportunity to open talks, with talks expected to include nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief and broader regional security issues.
Whether the talks bring lasting success or plunge the Middle East back into conflict may depend on whether Washington and Iran are willing to move beyond decades of mistrust.
