WASHINGTON – U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance departed for Pakistan on Friday ahead of rare direct talks between the two countries, saying future talks with Iran are expected to be “positive.”
Speaking before boarding the Second Air Force, Vance said the U.S. delegation would approach negotiations with “open arms,” but stressed that progress depended on Iran’s sincere willingness to negotiate.
“I think it’s going to be a positive outcome,” he said. “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we will be happy to help.”
He added: “If they try to play against us, they will find that the negotiating team is not very welcoming.”
The talks are scheduled to begin in Islamabad on Saturday and come amid a fragile ceasefire secured earlier this week after weeks of conflict.
Vance’s visit is the first by a U.S. vice president to Pakistan since 2011 and highlights Islamabad’s growing role as a mediator in the crisis.
Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran on Wednesday, 39 days after the conflict began on February 28, calling on both sides to hold direct talks. This will be the most important dialogue since 1979.
The Iranian government has confirmed its participation, but has not yet announced a negotiating delegation.
Vance said the U.S. position is guided by President Donald Trump’s clear direction.
“The president … has given us pretty clear guidelines and we’ll see how it goes,” he said.
Shortly after Vance’s resignation, Trump posted on Truth Social: “The World’s Most Powerful Reset!!!” Without explaining the details.
Pakistani authorities have placed tight security measures in Islamabad, with parts of the capital locked down ahead of the talks.
The talks come amid continued tensions in the region after ongoing Israeli military attacks in Lebanon since Wednesday have killed more than 300 people and drawn international condemnation.
According to local media, Iran has indicated that a halt to attacks on Lebanon is a condition for participation in the talks.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also pledged to advance mediation efforts, including in a recent telephone conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
According to official figures, more than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran since February 28, and 1,888 people have been killed and more than 6,000 injured in Israel’s Lebanon operation since early March.
