Vance’s trip to Pakistan canceled as Iran pulls out of talks

Vance’s planned departure for Islamabad has been canceled, following hours of delays earlier in the day.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Uncertainty surrounding planned U.S.-Iran talks deepened Tuesday after Iran signaled it would not participate in a new round of negotiations in Islamabad, prompting the cancellation of Vice President J.D. Vance’s trip to Pakistan.

According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, Tehran conveyed through Pakistani mediators that it would not attend the talks scheduled for Wednesday, citing multiple reasons. The report described the decision as final.

Shortly afterward, the Associated Press reported that Vance’s planned departure for Islamabad had been canceled, following hours of delays earlier in the day as U.S. officials waited for confirmation of Iran’s participation.

The developments come after Iranian officials failed to respond to the latest U.S. negotiating positions, leaving Washington without clarity on whether talks would proceed. A U.S. official had earlier said the lack of response stalled coordination ahead of the trip.

The diplomatic breakdown comes as a two-week truce involving Iran is set to expire Wednesday, with no clear indication of what actions either side will take once the ceasefire ends.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he does not support extending the truce, signaling a more rigid American posture.

“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” Trump said in an interview when asked about extending the ceasefire, adding that the U.S. is negotiating from a position of strength and expects to secure what he described as a strong deal.

On the Iranian side, senior officials continued to reject the current framework for talks. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of attempting to force a “table of surrender” through pressure tactics, including the naval blockade.

“We do not accept negotiations under threats,” he wrote, adding that Iran has “prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”

With Iran formally stepping back from the planned talks and the ceasefire deadline approaching, the prospects for near-term diplomacy appear increasingly uncertain.