US President Donald Trump has dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad to shore up the fragile two-week ceasefire with Iran, which Tehran has threatened to abandon over continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Boarding Air Force Two, Vance said the US would “extend an open hand to Iran if they act in good faith” — a notably softer tone than Trump’s earlier hardline ultimatums.
According to German news agency dpa, citing Pakistani security sources, expert-level talks are scheduled for Friday, with lead negotiators meeting Saturday. Discussions could extend into Sunday if needed.
The escalation to vice-presidential engagement marks a significant step up from earlier lower-level negotiations brokered by Pakistan. The ceasefire, agreed on April 8, briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz and triggered a sharp oil price decline. However, the truce has been under sustained pressure since Israel struck Lebanon, killing over 300 people, and Iran threatened to withdraw.
For Sri Lanka, the ceasefire’s survival is critical. The country is navigating a fuel rationing crisis driven by Hormuz-linked supply disruptions. A ceasefire collapse would reverse the modest oil price relief and could push fuel stocks back to emergency levels ahead of the Avurudu holiday period.
The talks come as Trump separately complained that Iran’s Hormuz compliance fell short of the agreement’s terms, adding further uncertainty to the truce’s durability.
Sources: Newswire, Ada Derana
