US Vice President JD Vance Arrives in Pakistan, Ready to Negotiate with Iran
US Vice President JD Vance landed at an airbase near Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, on Saturday (11 April) local time. Vance will lead the US delegation in negotiations with Iran to discuss finalising a ceasefire to end the six-week war.
Vance, dispatched by President Donald Trump to lead the US negotiating team, as reported by AFP on Saturday (11 April 2026), was welcomed by Pakistan’s influential military chief, Asim Munir, upon landing at Nur Khan airbase near Islamabad.
Munir escorted Vance along the red carpet laid out at the airbase, where US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were already waiting.
Pakistan is acting as host and mediator in these advanced negotiations between the US and Iran, after the two countries agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday (7 April) local time.
The Iranian delegation, led by the country’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived earlier on Friday (10 April) evening and was also welcomed by Munir.
These US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad are taking place as the two countries still hold differing views on the main demands in the ceasefire and continue to show mutual distrust.
Ghalibaf, who is leading the Iranian delegation consisting of more than 70 people, stated that Tehran has good intentions in attending these negotiations.
“We have good intentions, but we do not trust each other. Our experience in negotiating with America has always ended in failure and unfulfilled promises,” Ghalibaf said, as quoted by Iranian state television, upon arriving in Pakistan’s capital.
Ahead of the negotiations, questions have arisen regarding the conditions put forward by the Iranian delegation for starting talks.
Tehran insists that the two-week ceasefire must also be applied in Lebanon, where Israel is still carrying out bombings against Iran-backed Hezbollah. Tehran also calls for the immediate lifting of the freeze on its overseas assets due to US sanctions.
Vance, leading the US delegation, also showed the same caution in his comments to reporters before departing for Pakistan.
“If Iran is willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly ready to extend an open hand,” he said.
“If they try to play games with us, then they will find a negotiating team that is not so responsive,” Vance warned Iran.
The temporary ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran is considered fragile, with Israel continuing to bombard Lebanon, the base of the Hezbollah group. Tel Aviv and Washington insist the ceasefire does not cover Lebanon, while Tehran and Islamabad state the opposite.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned of “a more difficult stage ahead”, stating that progress in the negotiations will require hard work. He described the Islamabad talks as “determining success or failure”.