Trump, Vance issue stark warnings to Iran ahead of high-stakes peace negotiations in Pakistan

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The United States and Iran are expected to participate in make-or-break talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, this weekend as a fragile two-week ceasefire holds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has separately authorized negotiations with Lebanon. Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran, maintaining ties with both governments. Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. delegation, according to the White House, and it will include special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin next week in Washington, a U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press. The Lebanese government has not responded as of Friday morning. Vance told reporters Wednesday that the Trump administration will insist that Tehran hand over materials that could be used to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran, however, has put forward a 10-point proposal asserting its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes — a process with potential military applications — and calling for an end to the war. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is peaceful. Before departing for Islamabad on Friday, Vance warned Tehran not to "play us." "If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive, so we're going to try to have a positive negotiation," he told reporters. Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, reported that Saturday’s talks would not take place unless Israel halts its attacks in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed and funded by Iran, continues to escalate. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday it carried out its largest coordinated strike on Beirut since the war began in February, targeting more than 100 command centers and military sites. Trump said Thursday that he has asked Netanyahu to scale back the strikes. Early Friday, Israel's military said it struck approximately 10 launchers in Lebanon that had fired rockets toward northern Israel a day earlier. A major sticking point in negotiations with Iran is control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route that handles about 20% of the world’s traded oil. Iran has effectively restricted traffic through the Strait since the war began, contributing to a surge in global oil prices and higher fuel costs in the U.S. READ MORE: https://13wham.com/news/nation-world/us-iran-ceasefire-talks-loom-islamabad-pakistan-as-israel-opens-separate-lebanon-negotiations-hezbollah-netanyahu-president-trump-jd-vance-nuclear-weapons-uranium-strait-of-hormuz-gas-oil-prices _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: 13 WHAM on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/13WHAM 13 WHAM on Twitter: https://twitter.com/13WHAM 13WHAM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/13whamtv/?hl=en 13WHAM on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@13wham?lang=en 13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuTJB6tta5ar3Fu5CumAvlvVunEP6bc9A For more information, visit https://13wham.com/ Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700 WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork