Vance warns Iran not to ‘play us’ in Pakistan talks
US Vice President J.D. Vance warned the other side not to “play with us” and said he was looking forward to positive negotiations with Iran as he left for talks in Pakistan.
“We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it will be positive,” Vance told reporters before leaving Washington, D.C. he said.
“As the President of the United States has said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to lend an open hand,” Vance said.
“If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team isn’t that understanding.”
.@VP departs for Islamabad, Pakistan: “As @POTUS said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend an open hand. If they try to toy with us, then they will find that the negotiating team is not that understanding.” pic.twitter.com/9nNDGsMmId— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 10, 2026
According to the White House, the US delegation led by Vance also includes special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Security sources in Pakistan stated that preliminary discussions at the expert level were planned.
A meeting between chief negotiators is planned for Saturday.
Therefore, the talks can continue until Sunday if necessary.
The Strait of Hormuz remained closed and Israel launched new attacks on Lebanon on Friday; The United States and Iran described these attacks as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The two-day ceasefire halted US and Israeli air strikes against Iran.
But so far it has done nothing to end the strait blockade, which has caused the biggest ever disruption to global energy supplies, or to calm Israel’s parallel war against Iran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.
In his social media post, Trump said Iran was doing a “very bad job” of allowing oil to pass through the Strait.
He also warned Iran not to try to charge ships passing through it: “This is not our agreement!”
Iran says Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon are a violation of the ceasefire.
A few hours after the ceasefire was declared, Israeli forces carried out the largest attack of the war, killing more than 250 Lebanese in surprise attacks on populated areas.
Israeli attacks continued in southern Lebanon on Friday, with more than a dozen people reportedly killed in various towns.
Lebanese state media said eight members of Lebanon’s state security forces were killed in an attack.
In a twist on Thursday, Israel said it would open separate talks with the Lebanese government aimed at ending the war there and disarming Hezbollah.
A US State Department official confirmed that the US will host the Israel-Lebanon meeting next week.
A Pakistani source said “everything is going well” for US-Iran peace talks to start on Saturday as planned.
Speaking before the reports of the latest Israeli strikes on Lebanon, he said a reduction in violence there was positive.
“Tensions have eased. A good sign.”
But Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Friday that two previously agreed measures, a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets, should be implemented before negotiations begin.
In a post published on
Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have not yet been implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets before the start of negotiations. These two issues must be met before negotiations begin.— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 10, 2026
Advanced teams from both countries were already present at the five-star Serena hotel in central Islamabad, where both delegations will stay for the duration of the talks.
The source said that no face-to-face meeting was planned for Friday, but Pakistan conveyed messages between them.
The center of Islamabad was placed under complete lockdown due to a hastily announced public holiday, and a 3 km “red zone” was set up around the hotel.
with DPA
