Vance Leads U.S.-Iran Talks in Pakistan on Lasting Peace

U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday to lead high-level talks with Iranian officials aimed at transforming a fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement in the Middle East. The negotiations, hosted by Pakistan at an undisclosed location in the capital, mark the first direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since the conflict erupted on February 28 and focus primarily on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route closed by Iran amid the hostilities.

Vance heads a U.S. delegation that includes special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser. The group landed at Nur Khan Airbase in nearby Rawalpindi, with additional aircraft carrying delegation members and journalists. This visit represents the first by a U.S. vice president to Pakistan since 2011. The Iranian delegation, arriving earlier that morning, is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy to the National Security Council.

Before departing Joint Base Andrews on Friday, Vance addressed reporters, emphasizing a willingness to...