Trump tells Iran to negotiate as Vance heads to Pakistan for peace talks

Trump Iran negotiations: President demands nuclear talks resume as VP travels to Pakistan

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

President Donald Trump ordered Iran to return to nuclear negotiations on Tuesday while dispatching Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad for separate peace talks with Pakistani leaders.

The White House confirmed Trump’s direct message to Tehran came hours before Vance departed for a 3-day Pakistan visit focused on regional security and counterterrorism cooperation.

The dual diplomatic moves signaled the administration’s effort to reshape Middle East policy through simultaneous pressure on Iran and engagement with its nuclear-armed neighbor. Trump has previously threatened military action against Iranian facilities while maintaining his campaign promise to avoid new Middle East wars.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected Trump’s demand within 90 minutes, calling it “psychological warfare” designed to distract from Israeli military actions in Gaza, according to state-run IRNA news agency. The ministry said Tehran would only negotiate if Washington returns to the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump abandoned in 2018.

The exchange came as Iran nears weapons-grade uranium enrichment levels at its Fordow and Natanz facilities. United Nations inspectors reported last month that the country has stockpiled nearly 300 pounds of 60-percent enriched uranium, enough for multiple nuclear weapons if refined further.

Trump’s message arrived through Switzerland’s diplomatic channel that handles US-Iran communications, officials told reporters Tuesday. The president warned that continued enrichment “crosses a red line” without specifying consequences for Tehran.

“This isn’t 2015. Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than ever before,” Trump said in written comments released by the White House. “The regime must choose between economic collapse and a negotiated settlement.”

Vance will meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief General Asim Munir beginning Wednesday, according to Islamabad’s Foreign Office. His delegation includes National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who brokered Trump’s 2020 Afghan peace deal with the Taliban.

Pakistani officials briefed reporters Tuesday that Vance seeks Pakistan’s help pressuring the Taliban to prevent Afghan territory from harboring anti-Iranian militants. Tehran recently deployed tanks to its Afghan border following cross-border attacks claimed by Islamic State-affiliated groups operating from Afghanistan.

“The timing isn’t coincidental,” said Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistani ambassador to Washington. “Trump wants credible military options on Iran, which requires Pakistani intelligence on Afghan militant groups and possibly access to airspace.”

Diplomatic sources told GlobalBeat that Vance’s team discussed potential Pakistani mediation between Washington and Tehran, though Islamabad officially denied such talks. Pakistan maintained neutrality in the US-Iran conflict since Trump’s 2020 assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged both countries to “seize this opening” Tuesday, saying Brussels is ready to facilitate nuclear talks. China’s Foreign Ministry called for “dialogue over confrontation” while Russia’s ambassador to Iran cautioned against Western “threats and ultimatums.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Tuesday it would brief member states Friday on Iran’s enrichment activities. Director General Rafael Grossi said inspectors “remain ready to verify any future agreement” following the Trump administration’s new outreach.

Oil markets responded positively to Trump’s diplomatic gambit, with Brent crude dropping 2.3 percent to $74 per barrel by Tuesday evening. The Trump administration has imposed the toughest energy sanctions Iran has faced, cutting Tehran’s oil exports to roughly 1 million barrels daily from 3 million before 2018.

Economists warn Iran faces severe financial strain with inflation exceeding 50 percent and its currency hitting record lows against the dollar. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected previous overtures from the Biden administration, insisting Washington must “lift all sanctions first.”

The last direct US-Iran negotiations occurred in Vienna during 2021-22 under President Biden. Those talks collapsed after Iran demanded guarantees that future US presidents couldn’t abandon agreements, which legal experts called constitutionally impossible.

Intelligence analysts question whether Trump’s hardline approach will succeed where Biden’s diplomatic efforts failed. “Tehran doesn’t respond to ultimatums,” said Matthew McInnis at the Institute for the Study of War. “They need face-saving measures and economic relief, not threats.”

American allies remained cautious about Trump’s latest effort. Germany’s Foreign Office noted “we support all serious diplomatic initiatives” while Japan urged “restraint from all sides.” Arab Gulf states privately fear Trump’s volatility more than Iran’s nuclear program, leaked diplomatic cables showed.

Republican hawks applauded Trump’s dual-track approach. Senator Tom Cotton called the Iran demand “long overdue” while former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that “maximum pressure works.” Democrats warned Trump risks repeating mistakes that brought the countries near war in 2019.

Background

Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal prompted Iran to gradually resume enrichment activities the agreement had frozen. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action gave Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for limiting enrichment to 3.67 percent purity and allowing intrusive inspections.

Iran honored the deal’s limits for 12 months after Trump’s withdrawal, hoping European partners could maintain economic benefits. When US sanctions devastated its economy and Europeans struggled to create alternative payment channels, Iran began enrichment beyond deal limits starting in 2019.

Multiple instances of sabotage and assassination targeted Iran’s program, including apparent Israeli demolition of a key centrifuge facility. Tehran retaliated by enriching to 20 percent, then 60 percent, while restricting international inspections. Most analysts believe Iran aims to become a threshold nuclear state rather than building weapons.

What’s Next

Vance meets Pakistani military leaders Wednesday to discuss joint operations against Islamic State’s Afghan branch. His team will travel to Saudi Arabia Thursday for talks on potential Gulf states’ nuclear energy cooperation, seen as part of regional pressure on Iran. Israel’s intelligence chief arrives in Washington this weekend for classified briefings on potential Israeli operations against Iranian facilities.