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Vice President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday, where he is leading high-level talks aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire with Iran and preventing a wider regional war.
Vance along with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also part of a senior delegation meeting Iranian officials in Islamabad.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will hold talks for Iran.
The talks on Saturday come a month after the US launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28 – a sweeping military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear talks.
Vice President JD Vance (C) shakes hands with Pakistan Defense Forces Chief of Defense Staff and Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir (L), as Charge d’Affairess of the US Embassy in Islamabad Natalie A. Baker (2nd L), and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar (R) look on, after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026. (Jacqueline Martin – Pool/Getty Images)
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That operation pushed the US and Iran to the brink of ground war before a weak diplomatic breakthrough in recent days.
Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, agreeing to suspend further US strikes on the condition that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
While Iran has indicated it will allow passage through the strait as part of the agreement, traffic is severely disrupted, with shipping companies hesitant to resume normal operations amid ongoing security concerns and uncertainty over enforcement.
Before departing, Vance sounded a cautious note warning Iran not to test America’s negotiating posture.
“If they try to play with us, they’re going to find that the team is not as receptive to talking,” Vance said. He added that he was still hopeful that the talks would be “positive”.
The outcome of the talks could determine whether the ceasefire holds or devolves into renewed hostilities, with both sides deeply divided after weeks of fighting.
Iranian officials have adopted a cautious and conditional approach ahead of the talks.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it had accepted the two-week ceasefire, but warned that “it does not signal the end of the war,” adding that “our hands will remain on the trigger” if the agreement is violated.
Vance called Wednesday’s agreement a “fragile ceasefire.”
Iran has also linked the success of the ceasefire to developments in Lebanon, and has insisted that Israeli attacks on Hezbollah must stop as part of any comprehensive agreement. Tehran has warned that continued attacks could jeopardize the talks, highlighting a major dispute with Israel and the US, who have argued that Lebanon does not fall within the scope of the ceasefire.
Vance warned that if the ceasefire deal fails, Iran will ‘know’ that Trump ‘is not one to mess around’
Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator, establishing itself as a neutral ground between Washington and Iran after helping broker an initial ceasefire. But that role is already facing scrutiny.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, responded after calling Israel’s actions a “curse on humanity” in a recently deleted X post and said in a separate exchange that 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 sharp reaction from Israeli officials, who questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a neutral broker. Israeli leaders described the comments as “outrageous” and warned that such rhetoric is inconsistent with serving as a mediator, while Israel’s ambassador to India publicly said, “We do not trust Pakistan.”
Pakistani officials have not directly addressed the controversy surrounding Asif’s comments, but have defended their broader role and emphasized Islamabad’s efforts to promote a ceasefire and facilitate talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for “dialogue and diplomacy”, while officials say both Washington and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan’s mediation.
These talks are also taking place against a challenging security backdrop.
US officials have long regarded Pakistan as a high-threat environment for official travel, where strict movement controls and layered security measures are generally required for US personnel.
Bill Gage, a former Secret Service agent who traveled to Islamabad with President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital that the threat environment in Pakistan is historically one of the most serious threats faced by US security teams, requiring constant coordination and high precautions.
Gage said of his experience in 2006, “The threat environment in Pakistan was one of the worst the Secret Service had ever encountered.” “We were told that al-Qaeda wanted to kidnap an agent, so we always had to stay in pairs.”
Islamabad is set to host peace talks between Iran and the US on April 11, 2026. (Farooq Naeem/AFP via Getty Images)
Pakistan is constantly battling terrorist threats.
The State Department currently classifies the country as a Level 3 travel risk, warning of potential attacks, crime and kidnappings, and noting that extremist groups have carried out attacks in major cities, including Islamabad.
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Still, US officials see the Islamabad meeting as a rare start to diplomacy, with nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief and broader regional security issues expected to be discussed.
Whether the talks produce any lasting breakthroughs or push the Middle East back into conflict will depend on whether both Washington and Iran are willing to move beyond decades of mistrust.
