Vance to Lead U.S. Delegation for Iran Talks in Pakistan Amid Ceasefire Tensions

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — JD Vance, Vice President of the United States, will lead the United States delegation in upcoming talks with Iran in Pakistan, a White House official confirmed on Sunday, contradicting earlier remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting he would not attend.

Earlier in the day, Trump announced that negotiators would travel to Islamabad for discussions with Tehran aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as a fragile ceasefire nears expiration. He initially stated that Vance would not participate due to security concerns, telling ABC News, “It’s only because of security. JD’s great.”

However, a White House official later clarified that Vance will, in fact, take part in the talks alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The same trio represented Washington during the previous round of negotiations held in Islamabad on April 11–12, which concluded without a breakthrough.

Tensions remain high following accusations by Trump that Iran committed a “total violation” of a two-week ceasefire, citing reported attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. He warned that failure to reach an agreement could prompt severe U.S. military action.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had offered Iran “a reasonable deal,” adding that if Tehran refuses, “the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran.”

“They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the deal, it will be my honor to do what has to be done,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz expressed optimism about the diplomatic effort, telling ABC News that the upcoming round of talks could yield an “incredibly consequential” outcome.

The renewed negotiations come at a critical moment, as international pressure mounts to prevent further escalation in the region.