WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance was set to board a plane Tuesday and lead a high-level U.S. negotiating team to Islamabad, Pakistan, but was called back to the White House as uncertainty grows over Iran’s participation in the talks.
CNN’s Alayna Treene reported that Vance will instead attend policy meetings at the White House. Sources indicated the trip has been delayed, with no confirmation yet on whether it will proceed at all.
“We don’t know if this trip is definitely off,” Treene told anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown. “All we do know is that it is definitely delayed and that we should expect to see now the vice president at the White House for meetings today.”
Vance traveled to Pakistan earlier this month to lead negotiations alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser Jared Kushner. Those talks failed to produce a deal after Iran refused to provide an “affirmative commitment” that it will not pursue nuclear weapons.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said at the time. “And I think that’s bad news for Iran, much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”
Escalating Pressure on Iran The U.S. has imposed a naval blockade, preventing ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports. U.S. Central Command reported Tuesday that American forces have directed 28 ships to turn around or return to port. Officials noted that any vessels that may have entered Iranian ports would be unable to exit past the blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
A two-week ceasefire involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran is nearing its end, with questions remaining about whether Iranian officials will attend the Islamabad talks. Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said late Tuesday that a formal response from Iran confirming its delegation is still awaited, though Pakistani mediators remain in constant contact and describe the talks as critical.
In a negative signal for diplomacy, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the Trump administration in a post on X, questioning the level of understanding regarding Iran’s potential presence in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss efforts to end the conflict. Dar stressed dialogue and diplomacy as the path forward, urging an extension of the ceasefire.
President Trump has signaled he does not favor extending the current two-week ceasefire, which is set to conclude Wednesday. “We don’t have that much time,” Trump told CNBC. “Iran can get themselves on a very good footing if they make a deal. They can make themselves into a strong nation again, a wonderful nation again.”
