Vice President JD Vance, leading the US-Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad, has warned Tehran not to 'play' Washington. This comes as President Donald Trump tasked Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner to mediate talks in Pakistan.
Vance stated, 'If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand.' However, he added, 'If they're gonna try and play us, then they're gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.'
The VP's trip comes days after the US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. However, Israel's attack on Lebanon has put the deal at risk.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a controversial figure, is part of Tehran's team in Islamabad, and the stakes could not be higher. If talks collapse, the temporary truce may expire, potentially reigniting a broader conflict that Trump has warned could result in a scenario where 'a whole civilization will die.'
The decision to send Vance instead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sparked debate in policy circles. Jonathan Wachtel, a former US mission advisor to the United Nations, criticized the move, stating, 'Elevating the talks to the vice presidential level raises the stakes unnecessarily and, worse, rewards this murderous regime's attempt to dictate who sits across the table.'
