Washington: US Vice President JD Vance is set to spearhead an American delegation to Islamabad for a new round of discussions with Iran, just hours ahead of the existing ceasefire expires late on Tuesday, according to Axios. The session is aimed at brokering an eleventh hour extension or agreement, despite uncertainty over Tehran’s participation.
Axios sources indicated the parleys might provide a critical window of opportunity to halt rising hostilities. Iran, however, has yet to officially confirm attendance and has flagged the US initiative as possibly a White House ploy rather than a true bid for calm, as reported by The Economic Times.
Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz
The flare-up intensified over the past few days, with Iran targeting several merchant ships following its declaration to again seal off the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial artery for worldwide oil shipments. This followed President Donald Trump’s rejection of demands to remove the blockade, amid Tehran’s charges of “maximalist” US stipulations.
Trump met top advisors in the Situation Room on Saturday to gauge the situation. One US official revealed the president advocated for a pact even while escalation scenarios were discussed.
Trump’s Fiery Warning on Truth Social
In a Truth Social post, Trump blasted Iran: “Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!” He noted that US envoys would arrive in Islamabad for negotiations.
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” Trump posted.
He continued: “They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!”
This turn of events departs from recent indications of an impending settlement. As the truce deadline looms, the Islamabad meeting’s results may dictate de-escalation or a slide into open conflict.
