Vice President JD Vance leads a US delegation into direct negotiations with Iranian officials in Islamabad, with Pakistan mediating the historic encounter.
Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner sat across from Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi inside Islamabad's Serena Hotel — the first direct, in-person meeting between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief mediated the encounter, positioning Islamabad as the neutral ground where two enemies could finally talk face to face after six weeks of war.
The Iranian delegation arrived 71 members strong, packed with technical experts from the Supreme National Defense Council, the Central Bank, and parliamentary committees — a signal that Tehran came prepared to negotiate specifics, not just exchange pleasantries. The American side, by contrast, ran lean: three principals backed by a small team of aides. The asymmetry reflects two different theories of dealmaking — Iran trusting institutional depth, the US betting on personal authority and direct access to the president.
The agenda is staggering in scope. Iran wants recognized sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions, and a binding UN Security Council resolution. The US wants Iran to surrender its enriched uranium stockpile, accept permanent limits on its nuclear program, and reopen Hormuz unconditionally. Between those two positions lies the space where a deal must be found — or the ceasefire collapses and the shooting starts again.