Vance and Iran’s Parliament Speaker Hold Eight-Hour Talks in Islamabad as US Sweeps Strait of Hormuz
Kehinde Adegoke | International Agencies
For the first time in 47 years, American and Iranian officials sat across a table from each other — and talked through the night. The high-stakes encounter in Islamabad, Pakistan, stretched past midnight, with Vice President J.D. Vance facing off against Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in the two nations’ first direct talks since severing diplomatic ties in 1979.
The two sides engaged in over eight hours of back-and-forth discussions, including breaks, but it remains unclear whether they reached a concrete agreement on key issues such as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Hezbollah—a pro-Iranian armed group—is based. Amid the talks, U.S. President Donald Trump pressured Iran, stating, “It doesn’t matter if a deal isn’t reached.”
Local media said talks began at 5:30 p.m. at Islamabad’s Serena Hotel. Vance, Kushner, and Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff led a U.S. team of almost 300, including security staff. Pakistan mediated the three-party meeting, but direct U.S.–Iran dialogue took place. A White House official told Reuters that a U.S. expert team accompanied the delegation, with more experts supporting from Washington, D.C. That day, Trump visited his golf club near Washington prior to flying to Florida.
The talks took place four days after Trump declared a “two-week ceasefire” on the 7th. At a press briefing at the White House, Trump said, “We are negotiating with Iran in great depth,” adding, “A deal may or may not happen.” He continued,
“It doesn’t matter to me whether an agreement is reached with Iran,” and claimed, “No matter what happens, we have already won.” This appears to be an attempt at “managing expectations” in case the negotiations do not yield favourable results for the U.S.
Trump also warned that the New York Times (NYT) report on potential Chinese arms supplies to Iran would lead to significant problems. Iran, along with the so-called “CRINK” bloc—comprising China, North Korea, and Russia—has faced suspicions of close coordination amid the Iran situation.
Meanwhile, the U.S. began mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz as talks started. CENTCOM said two U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy, passed through the strait to initiate mine clearance.
More U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join soon. This was the first U.S. warship transit since Iran operations began. Axios reported this was done without Iran’s coordination. Trump claimed, “We have mine-clearing ships there, and we are sweeping the strait.” Still, even if the lane is secured, Iran could threaten vessels with missiles or drones.
Earlier, on “Truth Social,” Trump replied to critical coverage by saying the U.S. is clearing the Strait of Hormuz for many countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, and Germany.
He suggested they lack the will to act on their own and added, “Many countries send empty tankers to the U.S. to fill with oil.” Trump has previously urged allies to send warships for safe passage during the Iran crisis.