Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: US Vice President JD Vance and his team landed in Islamabad on April 11 for the to high-stakes ceasefire talks with Iran. Both the sides have deep mistrust, competing demands and mounting pressure to find an exit from the conflict, according to mainstream American media reports. JD Vance sought to lower tensions. “I think it’s going to be positive,” he told reporters, adding that if Iran negotiates “in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend an open hand,” according to The Washington Post.
As The Washington Post reported, the two sides appear to share little common ground beyond “their need to find an exit ramp from the war.”
Ahead of the talks, both countries accused each other of acting in bad faith. US President Donald Trump described Iran’s public proposals as “a hoax” and said Tehran was being “dishonourable” in restricting tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz, the newspaper reported.
Iran, meanwhile, has set firm preconditions. According to The Washington Post and The New York Times, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said issues such as the release of “blocked assets” must be resolved before negotiations begin.
Pakistan is hosting the talks and has positioned itself as a key intermediary. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the negotiations as a “make or break” moment, The Wall Street Journal reported. The talks come as the broader regional situation remains volatile. While a ceasefire is technically in place, Israeli operations in Lebanon continue, complicating diplomatic efforts, according to The Post and NYT.
