Vance to travel to Pakistan on Tuesday for Iran talks, sources say
· Axios
Vice President Vance is expected to depart for Islamabad by Tuesday morning for talks with Iran over a potential deal to end the war, three U.S. sources tell Axios.
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Why it matters: Vance will arrive in Pakistan with the ceasefire on the verge expiring. President Trump has threatened to launch a new bombing campaign on Iranian bridges and power plants if a deal can't be reached.
- While a full-scale deal on such a tight timeline would be difficult, Trump could also agree to extend the deadline if there are signs of progress.
- Trump already effectively added a day. While the two weeks agreed in the ceasefire will run out on Tuesday, he said on Monday that the deadline was Wednesday evening.
Behind the scenes: The White House spent all of Monday waiting for a signal from Tehran that it would send its negotiating team to Islamabad.
- A source with knowledge said the Iranians were stalling amid apparent pressure from the Revolutionary Guards on the negotiators to hold a firmer line: no talks without an end to the U.S. blockade
- The Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators urged the Iranians to come to the meeting.
- The Iranian team waited for a green light from the supreme leader. It came on Monday night, according to the source.
What's next: Two sources said Vance would depart on Tuesday morning, while a third said he might leave late Monday night.
- Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also expected to travel to Islamabad for the talks.