By Ginika Igboke
Vice President JD Vance and a team of American negotiators are heading to Pakistan to begin peace talks with Iran, as diplomatic efforts intensify following a fragile cease-fire agreement.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed during an April 8 briefing that the Trump administration is dispatching a delegation to Islamabad. The team includes U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner. The first round of negotiations is scheduled for Saturday morning, local time.
The talks come just days after Iran and the United States agreed to a two-week cease-fire. However, tensions remain high, as Iranian officials suggest their participation may depend on extending the cease-fire to include hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.
Rising Tensions in Lebanon
Violence escalated sharply after Israeli strikes hit Beirut on April 8, killing at least 112 people and injuring 837 others, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The attacks targeted central areas of the capital.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces stated on social media that the operations were aimed at Hezbollah, not Lebanese civilians.
Lebanon maintains that it was included in the April 8 cease-fire agreement involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel’s continued strikes violate the deal.
Berri said he contacted Pakistan to alert mediators and urged them to press Washington to intervene and halt Israeli operations in Lebanon.
Iran Accuses U.S. and Israel of Violations
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused both the United States and Israel of breaching a proposed 10-point framework that had been described as a viable basis for negotiations.
He pointed to Israel’s strikes in Lebanon and a reported drone incursion near the city of Lar in Iran’s Fars Province as evidence that the agreement had already been undermined.
“Now, the very workable basis on which to negotiate has been openly and clearly violated, even before the negotiations began,” Ghalibaf said, adding that under such conditions, negotiations would be unreasonable.
U.S. Denies Misunderstanding Over Cease-Fire Scope
Speaking from Budapest, Vance dismissed Iran’s claims, describing the dispute as a misunderstanding.
He emphasized that the cease-fire agreement did not extend to Lebanon.
“I think the Iranians believed the cease-fire included Lebanon, but it did not. We never made that commitment,” Vance said.
His remarks followed reports from Iranian state media that Tehran had again shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
Regional Concerns and Calls for Restraint
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said cease-fire violations had been reported and urged all sides to show restraint.
“I earnestly urge all parties to respect the two-week cease-fire so diplomacy can move forward toward a peaceful resolution,” Sharif stated, without specifying where violations occurred.
Meanwhile, instability is spreading across the region. Kuwait reported a large-scale wave of drone attacks targeting oil and power infrastructure, while the United Arab Emirates also confirmed missile and drone strikes.
As negotiations begin in Islamabad, the situation remains volatile, with continued violence threatening to derail diplomatic efforts before they fully take hold.
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