A police officer walks on the Serena Hotel premises as Pakistan prepared to host US and Iranian delegations for the second phase of peace talks. Reuters
US Vice‑President J.D. Vance’s planned trip to Islamabad for negotiations aimed at ending the seven‑week war was put on hold after Tehran failed to respond to American proposals, the New York Times reported. Vance had been due to leave Tuesday morning for talks set to resume Wednesday, when a fragile two‑week ceasefire is scheduled to end. With no reply from Iran, the diplomatic effort was effectively paused, though sources said the trip was not formally cancelled.
As Tehran remained silent, President Donald Trump warned he would order strikes on Iran if a deal was not reached before the ceasefire expired, even while Pakistan urged both sides to extend the truce and allow diplomacy to continue. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said there was “no final decision” on whether Iran would participate in the Islamabad talks.
At the same time, signs from Tehran suggested preparations for renewed fighting. Reports indicated Iran had moved forces and compiled a fresh list of targets in recent weeks, anticipating that negotiations could collapse amid disputes over US demands and reports of a naval blockade.
Trump said Tuesday that he expected Iran to send a delegation to Islamabad but reiterated that Washington was ready to resume bombing if no agreement was secured by the ceasefire deadline. He expressed confidence in reaching a “great deal” while signaling reluctance to extend the truce even if talks showed progress, saying negotiators had “not that much time” and that the US held a “very strong negotiating position” after military actions he said had degraded Iran’s capabilities. He also warned of potential strikes on key infrastructure, including networks used to move missiles, and said US forces were “ready to go.”
Pakistan said it was still waiting for Iran to confirm participation in the proposed talks, effectively placing the decision with Tehran as the ceasefire clock wound down. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad remained in “constant touch” with Iranian authorities and was making “sincere efforts” to bring them to the negotiating table.
