Trump’s envoys head to Pakistan for Iran talks before ceasefire ends

WEB DESK: US Vice President JD Vance is leading a high-level American delegation to Islamabad for urgent negotiations with Iran, as a fragile two-week ceasefire teeters on the brink of collapse.

The talks, described by President Donald Trump as a final opportunity for peace, are scheduled to begin before the truce expires on Tuesday night, according to Axios.

The mission comes amid heightened tensions after Iran reimposed control over the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, firing on commercial vessels in what Trump labelled a “total violation” of the agreement.

Pakistan, which mediated the first round of face-to-face talks in Islamabad last weekend, is once again playing host, with heavy security measures already in place around the capital.

High-powered US team arrives in Islamabad

The delegation includes not only Vance but also special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-in-law.

Trump announced on Truth Social that the envoys would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening, stressing that Washington was offering what he called “a very fair and reasonable deal”.

In a pointed warning issued on Sunday, the US president said failure to reach an agreement would leave him no choice but to authorise strikes on “every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran”.

He added: “No more Nice Guy. It’s time for the Iran killing machine to end.”

Iran remains wary as deadline looms

Tehran has yet to confirm its participation in the latest round and state media has dismissed the prospects of fruitful talks, citing what it describes as Washington’s “unreasonable and unrealistic demands” and the ongoing blockade of the strait.

Iranian officials have privately expressed fears that the negotiations could be a pretext for further American military action.

The original ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan on 8 April, had briefly eased a conflict that had threatened global energy supplies through the vital waterway.

However, the renewed standoff over the Strait of Hormuz has cast a shadow over diplomatic efforts, leaving the region braced for the possibility of renewed hostilities if no breakthrough is achieved in the coming hours.