The two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran brings hope for a long-lasting peace in the Middle East; JD Vance will lead negotiations in Pakistan this weekend.
New York: The two-week ceasefire agreed between Iran and the US brought much-needed relief for the world, which saw an intense 40-day battle in the Middle East, bringing oil movement to a standstill in the Strait of Hormuz and disrupting the world’s economy.
Now, negotiations aimed at reaching a long-lasting agreement were expected to begin in Islamabad over the weekend.
The talks follow a two-week ceasefire window announced by President Donald Trump after “Operation Epic Fury,” which the administration says significantly degraded Iran’s military capabilities. According to the White House, the pressure from military operations forced Tehran to seek a ceasefire and agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil route.
Trump, however, warned Iran that US forces will remain deployed until a “real agreement” is fully enforced.
“The President’s maximum pressure and the leverage created by the success of Operation Epic Fury led to the Iranian regime asking for and ultimately agreeing to a ceasefire proposal,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Trump said he is planning a "joint venture" with Iran to set up tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.
Jonathan Karl, an ABC News journalist, asked Trump if he approved of Iran charging a toll on ships that go through the Strait of Hormuz, to which the Republican leader responded, "We're thinking of doing it as a joint venture. It's a way of securing it - also securing it from lots of other people.” Trump added, "It's a beautiful thing."
"We're the winners. We won, OK? They are militarily defeated. The only thing they have is the psychology of, 'oh, we're going to drop a couple of mines in the water,'" he said. "We have a concept where we'll charge tolls."
If Trump proceeds with the plan and charges a similar fee, the US could earn an average of $240 million per day.
JD Vance to lead US negotiations
Vice President JD Vance was set to fly to Islamabad, leading a high-level American delegation for talks with Iran this weekend, as Washington moves to consolidate a fragile ceasefire following weeks of military escalation.
The White House said the negotiating team will include Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, signalling the administration’s push for a structured diplomatic track after what it described as a decisive military phase.
“I can announce that the President is dispatching his negotiating team, led by the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Kushner, to Islamabad for talks this weekend,” Leavitt told reporters. “The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning, local time, and we know we look forward to those in-person meetings,” she added.
Vance, speaking to reporters before departing Hungary, underscored that negotiations were already shaped by parallel diplomatic exchanges involving Pakistan and Iran. “We have a negotiation that's supposed to start this weekend. That's the truth. I think it's a good first step,” he said.
Vance indicated early signs of compliance, noting, “We actually think that we are seeing signs that the straits are starting to reopen.” He added that the ceasefire framework remains conditional. “The deal is a ceasefire, a negotiation. That's what we give, and what they give is that the straits are going to be reopened,” he said, warning that failure to comply would trigger consequences.
Despite the diplomatic push, the administration has cautioned that the truce remains unstable. “This is a fragile truce. Ceasefires are fragile by nature,” Leavitt said. A fragile ceasefire with Iran hinges on the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the White House asserted.
