Pushing forward Trump sending Vance-led team to Pakistan for Iran peace talks this weekend
WASHINGTON — President Trump is dispatching a delegation led by Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan to begin negotiations aimed at ending the US-Israeli conflict with Iran after a cease-fire was announced Tuesday.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, will also take part in the discussions scheduled to take place in Islamabad over the weekend.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the first round of talks is set for Saturday morning local time.
Leavitt noted that Vance has been closely involved in the diplomatic efforts from the start and has participated in the discussions surrounding the conflict. She said he will lead this next stage of negotiations in Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, however, Trump indicated Vance’s attendance had not been completely finalized because of security concerns.
Speaking by phone, the president said Witkoff and Kushner would attend and that Vance might also be present depending on safety considerations. Trump added that the face-to-face negotiations were expected to begin very soon.
Iran’s involvement in the talks remains uncertain, and the cease-fire that ended 39 days of fighting remains delicate.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Iranian officials told regional mediators they would not join negotiations unless a cease-fire is also implemented in Lebanon. Iran has also tied reopening the Strait of Hormuz to Israel halting its attacks on Hezbollah.
Israel has agreed to stop launching strikes on Iran but has said its ground operations in Lebanon will continue.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has been helping mediate the conflict, urged all sides to respect the cease-fire to give diplomacy a chance.
Sharif said reports of violations in parts of the conflict zone risk undermining the peace process and called on all parties to observe the two-week cease-fire agreement so negotiations can move forward.
Vance also encouraged Iran to participate in talks, noting that cease-fires often involve confusion and tension in their early stages.
He said there had been a misunderstanding about the terms of the agreement shortly after it was announced. Within an hour of Trump declaring the cease-fire, Iran launched missiles, prompting responses from Israel and several Gulf Arab states. Vance said that kind of back-and-forth is common during cease-fire situations.
Trump accepted a 10-point counterproposal from Iran as a possible foundation for negotiating a permanent settlement after US negotiators had previously presented a 15-point framework. Some of those conditions may still prove difficult to finalize.
Leavitt said Trump rejected many of Iran’s demands outright.
The conflict began Feb. 28 when Trump joined Israel in launching military action against Iran. The White House outlined several key objectives, including ending Iran’s nuclear program, destroying its naval capabilities, damaging ballistic missile production facilities and stopping Tehran’s support for proxy groups.
As part of the cease-fire arrangement, the Strait of Hormuz is expected to reopen to international shipping after Iran closed the strategic waterway during the conflict.
Negotiators are also expected to address Iran’s proposal to impose tolls on ships traveling through the strait and how to secure stockpiles of enriched uranium hidden deep underground.
While Iran’s plan to charge shipping fees could reinforce its influence over a major portion of the world’s oil exports, Trump suggested the possibility of a joint system in which the United States would also collect fees.
Trump has repeatedly said his primary objective is to ensure Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon. After the cease-fire, he said the United States intends to secure roughly 1,000 pounds of uranium enriched to 60 percent that Iran is believed to possess.
In a social media post Wednesday morning, Trump said the United States plans to work with Iran to remove deeply buried nuclear material and eliminate uranium enrichment.
He added that the sites involved are under constant satellite monitoring by the US Space Force and that nothing has been moved since the strikes.
Trump also said discussions about tariffs and sanctions relief are expected to take place as negotiations continue, noting that several elements of the earlier 15-point proposal have already been accepted.
About Post Author
