Trump May Travel to Pakistan
to Seal Iran Peace Deal
Washington signals it is open to a historic in-person summit in Islamabad as the two-week ceasefire hurtles toward its Wednesday deadline — and Tehran softens its threat to walk away from talks.
US President Donald Trump could travel to Islamabad — in person or virtually — if a landmark nuclear deal with Iran is clinched this week, a Pakistani source told Reuters, as a fragile two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran races toward its Wednesday expiry with no agreement yet in hand.
The dramatic disclosure came as Vice President JD Vance prepared to fly to Pakistan on Tuesday, according to Axios, which cited US government sources, in the clearest sign yet that Washington is treating the Islamabad talks as a genuine make-or-break moment. The Pakistani diplomatic source told Reuters simply: "Things are moving forward, and the talks are on track for tomorrow."
Things are moving forward, and the talks are on track for tomorrow.— Pakistani Diplomatic Source, via Reuters
Tehran initially threatened to pull out of the talks entirely after US forces seized an Iranian-flagged vessel near the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend — a flashpoint that sent tensions spiking. But by Monday, a senior Iranian official signalled that Tehran was "positively reviewing" its participation, while stressing that no final decision had yet been made. The about-face, however cautious, kept diplomatic hopes alive.
The gap between the two parties remains formidable, with each side holding positions that are as much about domestic politics as international security.
- Iran must not develop nuclear weapons — absolute red line
- Agreement must stabilise global oil prices
- Deal must prevent further stock market shocks
- No extension of the current ceasefire
- Relief from crippling US-led sanctions
- Halt to any military action against Iran
- Freedom to continue its nuclear programme
- Leverage via Strait of Hormuz control
Iran has countered Trump's threats with its own stark warning: any US attack on civilian infrastructure would trigger retaliatory strikes on power stations and desalination plants throughout the Gulf Arab nations — a threat with severe humanitarian implications given the region's reliance on desalinated water.
Perhaps the most striking subplot of this crisis is how swiftly Pakistan has emerged as the world's most consequential diplomatic broker. In a matter of days, Islamabad has gone from bystander to indispensable host — a transformation driven partly by geography, partly by its existing ties with both Washington and Tehran.
Pakistani authorities have deployed nearly 20,000 security personnel across the capital in preparation for the talks, an operation of considerable scale that signals how seriously Islamabad is treating its new role. Streets around potential negotiating venues have been cordoned off, and government officials have been briefing journalists on security arrangements while stressing their neutrality in the dispute.
Should the talks succeed and Trump land in Islamabad — even virtually — it would represent a remarkable diplomatic moment: a US president appearing in Pakistan not as a wartime ally, but as a peacemaker brokering a nuclear agreement. Whether that moment arrives, however, depends on decisions still being made in Tehran.
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