Trump says JD Vance, Kushner engaged in talks with Pakistani intermediaries

WEB DESK: United States President Donald Trump has issued a chilling ultimatum to Tehran, warning that Iran could be “taken out in one night” if it fails to agree to a ceasefire by Tuesday evening.

The threat comes as the White House leans heavily on a diplomatic backchannel involving Pakistan to avert a catastrophic regional escalation, according to Samaa News.

The Tuesday deadline and the ‘Islamabad Accord’

Speaking from the White House, President Trump confirmed that Vice President JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner are actively negotiating through Pakistani intermediaries.

At the heart of these discussions is the “Islamabad Accord,” a two-phase peace plan proposed by Pakistan.

The framework suggests an immediate cessation of hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, followed by a three-week window to negotiate a permanent settlement involving nuclear limits and sanctions relief.

While Trump acknowledged the proposal as a “significant step,” he maintained that the current terms remain insufficient, insisting that the Tuesday night deadline is final and “unlikely to be extended.”

Military Escalation and the Strait of Hormuz

The rhetoric from the Pentagon has sharpened in tandem with the President’s warnings. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth signalled that the US is prepared to launch the largest volume of strikes since operations began if the deadline passes without a breakthrough. Trump specifically targeted Iran’s infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, dismissing concerns that such strikes might constitute war crimes by arguing that an Iranian nuclear capability represents a far greater illegality. As the five-week conflict nears a tipping point, the global community remains fixed on whether Pakistan’s mediation can secure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz or if the region will descend into a “total” military confrontation.