After the US seized a cargo ship tied to Iran yesterday, the regime has said they have no plans to continue participating in talks with the US, claiming the Trump administration isn’t serious about diplomacy.
But President Trump told the New York Post this morning that VP Vance, Witkoff and Kushner were heading to Pakistan today and full expects talks are happening, even suggesting he could meet with senior Iranian leadership if talks go well.
Here’s what Trump said:
President Trump dismissed Iran’s claims that it will not participate in the latest round of peace negotiations in Pakistan, as he told The Post he’d be willing to meet with senior Iranian leaders if a breakthrough is reached.
“We’re supposed to have the talks,” Trump said in a brief interview, brushing aside doubts about whether negotiations would fall apart. “So I would assume at this point nobody’s playing games.”
The president on Monday morning confirmed that Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner have left the US for Islamabad to prepare for the meetings.
“They’re heading over now,” Trump said. “They’ll be there tonight, [Islamabad] time.”
The timeline underscores the urgency surrounding the talks, which come days ahead of the expiration of the US-Iran cease-fire amid escalating tensions in the region.
Trump signaled openness to a dramatic diplomatic step: meeting directly with Iranian leadership if the opportunity arises.
“I have no problem meeting them,” he said. “If they want to meet, and we have some very capable people, but I have no problem meeting them.”
At the heart of the negotiations, Trump said, is one non-negotiable demand: Iran must abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“Get rid of their nuclear weapons. That’s all very simple,” he said. “There will be no nuclear weapon.”He added that Iran has the potential to thrive if it complies.
“Otherwise, a wonderful country — it truly could be,” Trump said.
But the president declined to spell out what consequences Tehran could face if it refuses to comply or if talks collapse — particularly as the ceasefire deadline looms.
“Well, I don’t want to get into that with you,” he said when asked whether the US would escalate measures, such as seizing additional ships tied to Iran. “You can imagine. It wouldn’t be pretty.”