Iran proposed conditions such as a ceasefire in Lebanon before negotiations; Vance warned not to "play games" with the US; Trump prepared to use force if talks failed.
The US-Iran Islamabad negotiations are imminent, with both sides’ conditions and warnings already exchanged.
US Vice President Vance departed for Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday, April 10, leading the delegation to attend the first round of US-Iran talks held locally. According to Xinhua News Agency, Vance said before departure that he believes negotiations with Iran in the Pakistani capital Islamabad "will be positive," but he also warned the Iranian side not to "try to play tricks" on the US.
According to Xinhua, Trump said in a US media interview on Friday that the outcome of the talks with Iran would become clear within 24 hours. According to the US media, Trump stated that if Iran does not comply with US intentions during the negotiations, the US is prepared to take military action. He said that multiple warships are reloading ammunition in case needed if the talks break down. Another US media outlet reports that the White House claims Trump is optimistic about the possibility of consensus between the US and Iran.
Iran has put forward its demands. According to Xinhua, Iranian Islamic Parliament Speaker Qalibaf posted on social media on Friday, laying out two preconditions that must be met before negotiations begin—achieving a ceasefire in Lebanon and unfreezing Iranian frozen assets.
Whether the negotiations can start as scheduled remains uncertain. According to CCTV News, as of Friday afternoon local time, it was still unclear whether the Iranian negotiating delegation had left for Pakistan. Iranian media also cited sources denying earlier reports that the Iranian delegation had arrived, saying those reports were false. Arab media reported that the Iranian delegation would participate in talks on Saturday and that the technical delegations from both the US and Iran had already arrived in Pakistan on Friday morning local time.
Vance leads delegation, extends "olive branch," but draws a red line
Multiple media reported that Vance boarded “Air Force Two” on the 10th to head to Islamabad, accompanied by Presidential Envoy Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Kushner.
According to Xinhua, before departure Vance told media at the airport that the US is "full of anticipation" about these talks and is committed to facilitating positive negotiations. Vance quoted Trump’s stance, saying that if Iran is willing to conduct negotiations in good faith, the US certainly is willing to extend the olive branch, but if they "try to play tricks on us, then they will find that the US negotiating team will not accept it."
Reports say Vance stated that Trump has set "very explicit guidelines" for these negotiations, with goals including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the fragile temporary ceasefire with Iran. Vance did not say whether talks would be direct or indirect, nor did he reveal specific US expectations.
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