Vice President JD Vance was summoned back to the White House on Tuesday, delaying his planned trip to lead U.S. negotiations with Iran in Islamabad amid uncertainty over Tehran’s participation in the talks.
Vance was scheduled to board a plane and head a U.S. negotiating team in Pakistan’s capital but was unexpectedly called back for policy meetings at the White House. CNN’s Alayna Treene reported that the trip’s status remains unclear, with officials unsure whether it will proceed at all.
“We don’t know if this trip is definitely off,” Treene told anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown. “All we do know is that it is definitely delayed and that we should expect to see now the vice president at the White House for meetings today, not leaving this morning on that plane as we had previously reported.”
Earlier Failed Negotiations
Vance led a similar mission to Islamabad earlier this month alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser Jared Kushner. The talks ended without agreement after Iran refused to commit to abandoning its nuclear weapons program, which the U.S. had sought as a central condition.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said following those talks. “And I think that’s bad news for Iran, much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”
Current Blockade and Ceasefire Status
The U.S. military has increased pressure on Iran by blocking maritime traffic in the region. U.S. Central Command reported on Tuesday that American forces have directed 28 ships to turn around or return to port.
A two-week ceasefire between the U.S., Israel, and Iran is set to expire Wednesday, with President Trump signaling he does not intend to extend it. “I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” Trump told CNBC, adding that Iran could improve its position through negotiations.
Iran’s Uncertain Response
As of Tuesday evening, Pakistani officials said they were still awaiting formal confirmation from Iran that it would send a delegation to the Islamabad talks. Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that mediators remained “in constant touch” with Iranian officials about the “critical” negotiations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the U.S. approach on social media, writing that American understanding of Iran’s position was “even lower than Trump’s level of understanding and comprehension.”
Diplomatic Efforts Continue
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday to discuss ongoing diplomatic efforts. Dar stressed that dialogue and diplomacy were the only viable paths to regional peace and urged both the U.S. and Iran to extend the ceasefire and pursue negotiations.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this report.