&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US Vice President Vance departs for Pakistan as fragile ceasefire and mutual suspicion set stage for Iran talks")
US Vice President JD Vance on Friday (April 10) departed for Pakistan to take part in highly anticipated talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at negotiating a lasting peace in West Asia. The discussions follow a fragile ceasefire reached on April 7, ending around 39 days of intense conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. The war sent oil prices surging past $100 a barrel and dealt a severe blow to regional economies and global growth prospects.
The 'Islamabad Talks' are being held in a highly uncertain environment, with both sides growing increasingly suspicious of each other. Key aspects of the ceasefire remain contested, including a halt to Israel's bombing campaign in Lebanon. Several media reports indicate that Tehran has threatened to pull out of the negotiations if Israeli Defence Forces strikes on Lebanon continue.
The confusion stems from conflicting interpretations of the ceasefire terms. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly posted on X that the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was part of the deal, a post that, according to media reports, was shared with PMO in Islamabad by Washington itself.
However, both Israel and the White House have since contested that characterisation. Tehran, for its part, has made clear it will not reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz as long as Israeli strikes persist.
The US delegation will be led by Vance and will also include Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Addressing reporters before departure, Vance struck a cautiously optimistic tone, saying Washington was open to constructive engagement if Iran approached the talks in good faith. "We're looking forward to the negotiation. I think it's going to be positive. As the President of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," he said.
However, he warned that Washington would not be receptive if Iran attempts to play games at the negotiating table. "If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive," Vance added.
The first round of talks is scheduled for Saturday morning, local time.
(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)
