WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance departed for Pakistan on Friday for talks connected to ongoing diplomatic efforts around Iran, striking a cautiously optimistic tone while issuing a clear warning to Tehran.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before boarding Air Force Two for Islamabad, Vance said he was looking forward to the negotiations and expected them to be productive.
"We're looking forward to negotiation. I think it's going to be positive," he said.
Vance was careful to frame the US position as conditional, closely echoing guidance from President Donald Trump.
"If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," he said. "If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive."
He added that the administration was entering the talks with a defined framework set by the President, though he offered no further specifics.
Also Read: Oil prices slide after US President Donald Trump signals pause on Iran strikes
The visit comes in the middle of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, lending the diplomatic mission added urgency and significance.
Vance's remarks reinforced what appears to be a dual-track US approach — openness to engagement, paired with a firm deterrence posture if talks are seen to be conducted in bad faith.
Officials have not yet released a detailed schedule for the Pakistan leg of the trip.
The outcome of the talks carries implications well beyond the immediate parties involved.
India is closely monitoring developments, given its significant interests in Gulf stability and energy flows. Any major breakthrough — or breakdown — in US-Iran negotiations could directly affect global oil prices and regional security calculations that New Delhi factors into its foreign policy.
Previous rounds of US-Iran engagement have produced limited progress, with deep-seated mistrust and competing strategic priorities repeatedly derailing any momentum.
The current round is being watched as another test of whether both sides can find workable common ground under shifting geopolitical conditions — with few guarantees that this attempt will fare differently from those that preceded it.