Vance heads to Pakistan for US-Iran talks, says negotiations likely ‘positive’

WASHINGTON — US Vice President JD Vance said Friday that upcoming talks with Iran are expected to be “positive,” as he departed for Pakistan ahead of rare direct negotiations between the two sides.Speaking before boarding Air Force Two, Vance said the US delegation would approach the talks with “open hands,” while emphasizing that progress depends on Iran’s willingness to negotiate in good faith.“I think it’s going to be positive,” he said. “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend the open hand.”He added: “If they’re going to try to play us, they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”The talks, set to begin Saturday in Islamabad, come amid a fragile truce secured earlier this week following weeks of conflict.Vance’s visit marks the first trip by a US vice president to Pakistan since 2011 and underscores Islamabad’s growing role as a mediator in the crisis.Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran on Wednesday, 39 days after the conflict began on Feb. 28, and invited both sides to engage in direct talks — the most significant such engagement since 1979.Tehran has confirmed its participation, though it has not yet announced its negotiating delegation.Vance said the US position is guided by clear instructions from President Donald Trump.“The president… gave us some pretty clear guidelines, and we’ll see how it goes,” he said.Shortly after Vance’s departure, Trump posted on Truth Social: “World’s most powerful reset!!!” without elaborating.Pakistani authorities have imposed tight security measures in Islamabad, with parts of the capital closed ahead of the talks.The negotiations come as regional tensions persist, with ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Wednesday reportedly killing more than 300 people and drawing international condemnation.Iran has indicated that ending attacks on Lebanon is a condition for its participation in the talks, according to local media.Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also pledged to advance mediation efforts, including in a recent call with his Lebanese counterpart Nawaf Salam.Since Feb. 28, more than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran, while Israeli operations in Lebanon since early March have left 1,888 dead and over 6,000 injured, according to official figures.