Vance, Kushner head to Pakistan as Trump pushes Iran 'nuclear de-escalation' talks

US-Iran talks: Donald Trump, US President, on Monday confirmed that an American negotiating team is en route to Pakistan for critical negotiations with Iran. This second round follows a 21-hour marathon of talks held on April 11-12, which ended in a stalemate.

US-Iran talks: US President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that an American negotiating team, including Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, is en route to Pakistan for critical negotiations with Iran.

According to ANI, in an interview with the New York Post, the US President clarified that the objective of the mission is not merely a regional truce but the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear capabilities.

On the US team going to Pakistan, he said, "They're heading over now...They'll be there tonight, [Islamabad] time."

Trump also told the New York Post that the talks rest on one non-negotiable demand: Iran to give up on its nuclear pursuits.

"Get rid of their nuclear weapons. That's all very simple," he said. "There will be no nuclear weapon."

Meanwhile, the US President also expressed a willingness to meet directly with senior Iranian leaders should a breakthrough occur, he warned that the alternative to a deal would be catastrophic. 

When pressed on the consequences of a collapse in negotiations, he warned, "Well, I don't want to get into that with you. You can imagine. It wouldn't be pretty."

US-Iran talks 

The diplomatic mission faces immediate hurdles. Earlier Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry, via the Tasnim News Agency, stated it currently has "no plans" for a second round of negotiations, citing US "bad faith" and the recent maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump, however, brushed off the deterrent rhetoric from Tehran, saying, "nobody is playing games" and that both sides are "supposed to have the talks."

"We're supposed to have the talks... So I would assume at this point nobody's playing games", he told the New York Post.

This second round follows a 21-hour marathon of talks held on April 11-12, which ended in a stalemate.

US-Iran ceasefire 

With the ceasefire set to lapse on Wednesday, the Islamabad talks represent the final diplomatic off-ramp before further escalation. 

(with ANI inputs) 

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