NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Vice President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday, where he is leading high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire and preventing a broader regional war.
Vance is joined by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, as part of a high-level delegation meeting with Iranian officials in Islamabad.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will negotiate for Iran.
The talks, scheduled for Saturday, come more than a month after the United States launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, a broad military campaign targeting Iran's military infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear negotiations.
Vice President JD Vance speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force Two at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport April 8, 2026, in Budapest, Hungary. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)
IRAN REVEALS 10 POINT PLAN FOR PEACE WITH THE UNITED STATES: THIS IS WHAT IT CONTAINS
That operation brought the United States and Iran to the brink of a ground war before a tenuous diplomatic breakthrough in recent days.
Trump on Tuesday announced a two-week ceasefire and agreed to suspend further US attacks on the condition that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.
While Iran signaled it would allow passage through the strait as part of the deal, traffic remains severely disrupted and shipping companies are hesitant to resume normal operations amid ongoing security concerns and uncertainty over compliance.
Vance struck a cautious tone before departing, warning Iran not to test the United States' negotiating stance.
“If they try to play us, then they will find that the negotiating team is not as receptive,” Vance said, adding that he still hopes the talks will be “positive.”
The outcome of the talks could determine whether the ceasefire holds or collapses into renewed hostilities, as both sides remain deeply divided after weeks of conflict.
Iranian officials have taken a cautious and conditional tone ahead of the talks.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it accepted the two-week ceasefire but warned that “this does not mean the end of the war,” adding that “our hands remain on the trigger” if the deal is violated.
Vance described Wednesday's agreement as a “fragile truce.”
Iran has also linked the success of the ceasefire to events in Lebanon, insisting that Israeli attacks on Hezbollah must stop as part of any broader agreement. Tehran warned that continued attacks could jeopardize talks, highlighting a key dispute with Israel and the United States, which have argued that Lebanon is not covered by the truce.
VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL 'FIND OUT' TRUMP IS 'NOT Someone to waste time on' IF CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT FALLS APART
Pakistan has become a key intermediary, positioning itself as a neutral place between Washington and Iran after helping broker the initial truce. But that role is already coming under scrutiny.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif sparked a backlash recently after calling Israel's actions a “curse to humanity” in a now-deleted X post and, in a separate exchange, saying critics should “burn in hell.”
Security personnel inspect vehicles entering the Foreign Ministry office in Islamabad on April 9, 2026. (Aamir QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)
The comments provoked a harsh response from Israeli officials, who questioned Pakistan's credibility as a neutral intermediary. Israeli leaders described the comments as “scandalous” and warned that such rhetoric was incompatible with serving as a mediator, while Israel's ambassador to India said publicly: “we do not trust Pakistan.”
Pakistani officials have not directly addressed the controversy surrounding Asif's comments, but have defended their broader role, emphasizing Islamabad's efforts to mediate the ceasefire and facilitate talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for “dialogue and diplomacy,” while officials say both Washington and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan's mediation.
The conversations are also taking place against a challenging security backdrop.
U.S. officials have long treated Pakistan as a high-threat environment for official travel, with strict movement controls and layered security measures typically required for U.S. personnel.
Bill Gage, a former Secret Service agent who traveled to Islamabad with President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital that the threat environment in Pakistan has historically ranked among the most serious facing American protection teams, requiring constant coordination and increased precautions.
“The threat environment in Pakistan was one of the worst the Secret Service has ever operated in,” Gage said of his experience in 2006. “We were informed that Al Qaeda wanted to kidnap an agent, so we always had to be in pairs.”
Islamabad will host peace talks between Iran and the United States on April 11, 2026. (Farooq NAEEM/AFP via Getty Images)
Pakistan continues to face persistent terrorist threats.
The State Department currently classifies the country as a Level 3 travel risk, warning of possible attacks, crimes and kidnappings, and noting that extremist groups have carried out attacks in major cities, including Islamabad.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Still, U.S. officials view the Islamabad meeting as a rare opportunity for diplomacy, with discussions expected to include nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief and broader regional security issues.
Whether the talks produce lasting progress or plunge the Middle East back into conflict may depend on whether both Washington and Iran are willing to move beyond decades of mistrust.
