How Likely Are U.S.-Iran Peace Talks in Islamabad? |
Foreign & Public Diplomacy
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at potential peace talks between the United States and Iran, Russia’s big win in Bulgaria’s general election, and the continued political fallout from ex-British diplomat Peter Mandelson.
U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to kick off a second round of Pakistan-mediated talks in Islamabad on Tuesday. The aim is to secure a lasting peace deal before Washington’s two-week cease-fire with Tehran expires on Wednesday. However, growing uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz has threatened to upend negotiations before they can even begin.
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at potential peace talks between the United States and Iran, Russia’s big win in Bulgaria’s general election, and the continued political fallout from ex-British diplomat Peter Mandelson.
U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to kick off a second round of Pakistan-mediated talks in Islamabad on Tuesday. The aim is to secure a lasting peace deal before Washington’s two-week cease-fire with Tehran expires on Wednesday. However, growing uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz has threatened to upend negotiations before they can even begin.
Dialogue could look the same as its first iteration. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance plans to lead the White House delegation alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Iranian authorities have confirmed that if Vance attends, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will also return to the negotiating table. Vance has yet to depart for Islamabad, though, casting doubt on both of their attendance.
According to Trump, if Tuesday’s negotiations occur, they will focus on securing a nuclear deal that prohibits Iran from enriching uranium. If “Iran’s new leaders (Regime Change!) are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. He added in a separate post that “If a Deal happens under ‘TRUMP,’ it will guarantee Peace, Security, and Safety, not only for Israel and the Middle East, but for Europe, America, and everywhere else.”
Yet Trump appears unconcerned with the cease-fire’s looming Wednesday deadline. In an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, the U.S. president said it is “highly unlikely” that he will extend the truce. “I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal,” Trump said. “We’ve got all........