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With a ceasefire deadline looming and oil markets rattled, Washington and Tehran are locked in a high-stakes diplomatic standoff — even as both sides appear to want a way out.
A Pakistani Ranger walks past a billboard for the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad on April 12, 2026. Iran and the United States failed to reach an agreement to end the war in the Middle East, US Vice President JD Vance said on April 12 after marathon talks in Islamabad, adding that he was leaving negotiations after giving Tehran the 'final and best offer'(AFP)Vice President JD Vance is expected to depart for Islamabad by Tuesday morning to resume negotiations with Iran over a potential deal to end the war, three US officials told Axios. The trip comes as the two-week ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump teeters on the edge of expiry — and as Tehran's own negotiators received a last-minute green light from Iran's supreme leader to attend the talks, according to a Axios report .
US Vice President Vance Heads to Islamabad as Ceasefire Deadline Looms
The diplomatic push arrives at a moment of acute urgency. Trump announced the ceasefire on 7 April, and while the two-week window was set to close on Tuesday, the president told reporters on Monday that the deadline had effectively been extended to "Wednesday evening Washington time."
JD Vance will not travel alone. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff are also expected to make the journey to Pakistan for the talks. Trump himself said he would love to attend in person but did not believe his presence would be necessary.
"There's going to be a meeting. They want a meeting, and they should want a meeting. And it can work out well," Trump said.
Behind the scenes, the White House spent Monday waiting anxiously for a signal from Tehran confirming it would send a negotiating team to Islamabad. The Iranians, according to a source familiar with the dynamics, were stalling — caught between pressure from the Revolutionary Guards to hold a firmer line and diplomatic encouragement from Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators urging them to the table. The supreme leader's clearance arrived on Monday night.
Iran Says No Talks Under Threat — But Sends a Team Anyway
Tehran's public posture remained defiant. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the country had no plans for new talks with the United States and accused Washington DC of undermining diplomacy through ceasefire violations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian added his voice to the scepticism, posting on X that "deep historical mistrust in Iran toward US gov conduct remains" and declaring that "Iranians do not submit to force."
The contradictions within Tehran's own camp ran deeper than the public statements suggested. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf broke with hardliners, criticising opponents of a potential deal as "extremist" actors undermining negotiations. He also expressed concern over growing political pressure on himself and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to Iran International.
The divide reflects a genuine fault line within the Iranian leadership. Conservative elements — particularly within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — have interpreted the continuation of the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as evidence that Trump cannot be trusted. The IRGC's leader, Ahmad Vahidi, is among the most vocal advocates for a tough negotiating stance. Ranged against them are less ideologically rigid figures such as Pezeshkian and Araghchi, who are seen as more open to reaching an accord with Washington.
English (US) ·