Axios
Vice President Vance is expected to depart for Islamabad by Tuesday morning for talks with Iran over a potential deal to end the war, three U.S. sources tell Axios. Why it matters: Vance will arrive in Pakistan with the ceasefire on the verge expiring. President Trump has threatened to launch a new bombing campaign on Iranian bridges and power plants if a deal can't be reached. While a full-scale deal on such a tight timeline would be difficult, Trump could also agree to extend the deadline if there are signs of progress. Trump already effectively added a day. While the two weeks agreed in the ceasefire will run out on Tuesday, he said on Monday that the deadline was Wednesday evening. Behind the scenes: The White House spent all of Monday waiting for a signal from Tehran that it would send its negotiating team to Islamabad. A source with knowledge said the Iranians were stalling amid apparent pressure from the Revolutionary Guards on the negotiators to hold a firmer line: no talks without an end to the U.S. blockade The Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators urged the Iranians to come to the meeting. The Iranian team waited for a green light from the supreme leader. It came on Monday night, according to the source. What's next: Two sources said Vance would depart on Tuesday morning, while a third said he might leave late Monday night. Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also expected to travel to Islamabad for the talks.
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