Donald Trump has told JD Vance to find a way out of the war against Iran, as the vice president is set to fly out to Pakistan for crucial peace talks.
Vance, departing today, has been one of the most reluctant defenders of the war against Iran in Trump’s inner circle.
He has long been sceptical of foreign military interventions and outspoken about the prospect of sending troops into open-ended war.
The vice president’s visit to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad comes as a tenuous, temporary ceasefire appears to be on the precipice of collapsing.
The chasm between Iran’s public demands and those from the US and its partner Israel seems irreconcilable.
Mr Vance is joined by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who took part in three rounds of indirect talks with Iranian negotiators aimed at settling US concerns about Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes and its support for armed proxy groups in the Middle East before Mr Trump and Israel launched the February 28 war against Iran.
The White House has provided scant detail about the format of the talks – whether they will be direct or indirect – and has not provided specific expectations for the meeting.
Trump tasks JD Vance with finding a way out of Iran quagmire
JD Vance is set to travel to Pakistan to lead talks with Iran and find a solution to the end of the Middle East crisis.
He will be joined by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Both Witkoff and Kushner took part in three rounds of indirect talks with Iranian negotiators aimed at settling US concerns about Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes and its support for armed proxy groups in the Middle East before Mr Trump and Israel launched the February 28 war against Iran.
Little is known about how the talks might play out, as the White House has provided scant details on the format and the points set to be raised.
Iranian delegation lands in Islamabad ahead of talks
An Iranian delegation arrived in Pakistan’s capital city late on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s talks to resolve the US-Iran war.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran’s team is being led by foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf.
Vance is set to travel to Islamabad today, alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Zelensky: We took down Iranian drones in the Middle East
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said this morning that he sent drone experts to the Middle East to demonstrate how interceptors work, destroying Iranian Shahed drones in the process.
He said drones were taken down in several countries, though did not name any specific nations.
He said: ‘This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defence system that can actually work.’
Hezbollah and Israel trade blows overnight
Israel and Hezbollah separately said they attacked each other overnight, despite the ever-fraying ceasefire.
The IDF said it had hit Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon, following Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that the nation was not part of the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its forces had launched a barrage of rockets against a group of Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon early this morning.
Trump tells Netanyahu to be ‘low-key it’ in Lebanon
Trump told NBC overnight that he has spoken to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and asked him to scale back strikes against Lebanon, which have killed hundreds and left over 1,000 injured.
He told the US media outlet: ‘I spoke with Bibi [Netanyahu] and he’s going to low-key it. I just think we have to be sort of a little more low-key.’
Islamabad streets all but empty ahead of crucial talks
Save for patrolling soldiers, the streets in large swathes of Pakistan’s capital city, Islamabad, are empty.
The city is hosting peace talks between Iran and the US this weekend, and Pakistan is taking its role as mediator seriously.
Good morning, and welcome to the Daily Mail’s covering of the Middle East crisis
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