Vice President Vance is expected to depart for Islamabad by Tuesday morning for talks with Iran aimed at ending the war, according to three U.S. sources. He arrives with a two-week ceasefire on the verge of expiring. President Trump has threatened to launch a new bombing campaign targeting Iranian bridges and power plants if a deal cannot be reached.
While securing a full-scale agreement on such a tight timeline would be difficult, Trump could agree to extend the deadline if talks show progress. The president has already effectively added a day, stating the deadline was Wednesday evening even though the original ceasefire was set to run out on Tuesday.
The White House spent Monday awaiting a signal from Tehran that it would send its negotiating team to Islamabad. A source with knowledge of the situation said Iranian officials were stalling, reportedly under pressure from the Revolutionary Guards to take a firmer line against talks without an end to the U.S. blockade.
Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators urged Iran to attend the meeting. The Iranian team ultimately waited for and received a green light from the country's supreme leader to proceed. The outcome of these high-stakes discussions will determine whether hostilities resume or a path toward de-escalation opens.
The immediate focus is on preventing a breakdown that could trigger the threatened U.S. bombing campaign and a resumption of full-scale conflict.