Vance warns Iran not to ‘play us’ ahead of diplomatic mission in Pakistan
WASHINGTON— Vice President J.D. Vance departed for Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday to begin the first direct talks aimed at ending the war between the United States and Iran.
Along with a delegation of highly distrustful negotiators from Tehran, Vance is tasked with brokering a lasting peace between rival countries that have failed to fulfill promises made days earlier in a delicate last-minute ceasefire. Ongoing military activities in the Middle East and disagreements over Iran’s control over key shipping routes have left diplomatic efforts in danger of collapsing before negotiations even begin.
“If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend an open hand,” Vance told reporters before boarding Air Force Two. “If they try to play us, they will find that the negotiating team is not that understanding.”
President Trump on Tuesday abandoned plans to inflict “hell” on Iran based on assurances that he would lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but traffic in the vital waterway was still running lightly on Friday, with more than 600 ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, according to maritime monitoring data. Trump on Thursday accused Iran of doing “what some would say is a very bad job” by allowing oil to pass through the strait.
“The Iranians do not seem to realize that they have no other cards than short-term usurpation of the world using the International Waterways. The only reason they survive today is to negotiate!” HE Wrote at Truth Social on Friday.
Lebanon, meanwhile, has emerged as the main dispute that threatens to derail negotiations before they even begin.
Hours after the ceasefire took effect, Israel launched what Lebanese officials described as the heaviest wave of attacks since the beginning of the war, killing at least 303 people, according to local health officials.
Jerusalem maintains that the Lebanese front is still on the table, but Iran and Pakistan disagree.
“The terms of the Iran-US Ceasefire are clear: The United States must choose: a ceasefire or continuing the war through Israel. It cannot have both,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said this week. “The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the US’s court and the world is watching whether it will fulfill its commitments.”
Vance acknowledged there was a “legitimate misunderstanding” about whether Lebanon was included in the ceasefire terms, telling reporters that Washington never made that promise.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confirmed on Friday that separate talks on Lebanon are expected in Washington next week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also approved the talks, but said a ceasefire was not possible.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and the Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad early on Saturday, Iranian state media reported. A few hours earlier, he had said that the ceasefire in Lebanon “must be implemented before negotiations begin.”
Bagher Qalibaf also added a second condition, which he argued must be returned before Tehran comes to the bargaining table: the release of frozen Iranian assets. Little is known about Iranian funds held abroad, but such assets are generally detained as a result of U.S.-imposed sanctions.
The vice president’s role in peace talks has increased in recent weeks. Administration officials cited Vance as one of several leaders with whom Tehran might want to engage directly. A victory in Islamabad could boost Vance’s chances of leading the post-Trump GOP at a time when the global economy is being disrupted by Trump’s far-reaching military ambitions.
That is, of course, if it can take the pressure off American wallets with a deal that would release Iran’s dominance over the strait that cuts off much of the world’s oil supply.
While U.S. inflation climbed to 3.3% in March (the highest annual rate in nearly two years), Americans continued to feel the negative impact at the gas pump and grocery stores, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
New data showed monthly prices rose 0.9%, a sharp increase from the 0.3% monthly increase in February, when annual inflation stood at 2.4%.
While the White House characterized rising inflation as a short-term disruption caused by the Iran war, it noted that the administration was “working diligently to reduce” rising costs.
“As the Administration ensures the free flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, the American economy remains on a solid path thanks to the Administration’s strong supply-side agenda of tax cuts, deregulation and energy abundance,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. He wrote to X.
Britain has announced it will hold a meeting with dozens of countries next week to coordinate efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The summit will focus on opposing Iran’s proposal to charge transit fees to allow ships to pass through the waterway.
In a televised address to the nation, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke of a “devastating storm of inflation” if peace talks fail to free up the Middle East’s oil supplies. He described the current phase as a “make or break” moment.
“We will make every possible effort to ensure the success of the peace process,” he said.
