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Vance to travel to Pakistan on Tuesday for Iran talks, sources say
April 21, 2026
Posted 4 hours ago by
Vice President Vance is expected to depart for Islamabad by Tuesday morning for talks with Iran over a potential deal to end the war, three U.S. sources tell Axios. Why it matters: Vance will arrive in Pakistan with the ceasefire on the verge expiring. President Trump has threatened to launch a new bombing campaign on Iranian bridges and power plants if a deal can't be reached.While a full-scale deal on such a tight timeline would be difficult, Trump could also agree to extend the deadline if there are signs of progress.Trump already effectively added a day.
While the two weeks agreed in the ceasefire will run out on Tuesday, he said on Monday that the deadline was Wednesday evening.Behind the scenes: The White House spent all of Monday waiting for a signal from Tehran that it would send its negotiating team to Islamabad.A source with knowledge said the Iranians were stalling amid apparent pressure from the Revolutionary Guards on the negotiators to hold a firmer line: no talks without an end to the U.S. blockadeThe Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators urged the Iranians to come to the meeting.The Iranian team waited for a green light from the supreme leader. It came on Monday night, according to the source.What's next: Two sources said Vance would depart on Tuesday morning, while a third said he might leave late Monday night.Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also expected to travel to Islamabad for the talks.
Axios
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