JD Vance issues 4-word warning to Iran amid fears of peace talks crisis world | news

JD Vance has warned the Iranian regime not to “try to mess with us” before heading to Pakistan for peace talks.

Leaving for Islamabad, where talks are scheduled to take place tomorrow (Saturday, April 11), he said, “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend an open hand. If they are going to try to play with us, they will find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”

Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will also attend, while Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on Twitter that an Iranian delegation would arrive in Islamabad on Thursday night for talks.

The post reads: “Despite the skepticism of Iranian public opinion due to repeated ceasefire violations by the Israeli regime to thwart diplomatic initiatives invited by Honorable Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Iranian delegation is arriving in Islamabad tonight for serious talks based on the 10 points proposed by Iran.”

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier warned that the ceasefire violations earlier this week could jeopardize peace talks.

He said: “Ceasefire violations have been reported in some places in the conflict area which undermine the spirit of the peace process. I sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks as agreed, so that diplomacy can play a leading role towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

Sayyid Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, condemned the ongoing fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Posting on Twitter, he said: “The terms of the Iran-US ceasefire are clear and unambiguous: the US must choose – a ceasefire or continuing the war through Israel. It cannot have both.

“The world watches the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the US court and the world is watching to see whether it will follow through on its commitments.”

The ceasefire appeared fragile after Israel attacked Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait faced missile and drone attacks on Wednesday, and Hezbollah fired on northern Israel on Thursday morning.

The Middle East has been in conflict since February 28 when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on several key Iranian sites. Iran retaliated by attacking countries across the region and blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trade route.

Just 24 hours after the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, US President donald trump Has vowed the “destruction” of Iran. In a post on Truth Social late on Wednesday, April 8, Trump confirmed that US military personnel and ammunition would remain in position.

Part of the post read: “All U.S. ships, aircraft, and military personnel, along with additional ammunition, weapons, and anything else appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already vastly weakened enemy, will remain in and around Iran until the actual agreement is fully implemented.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was still work to be done to ensure that “this ceasefire should not be a temporary ceasefire but a permanent ceasefire”. He added: “Above all, we have to accept that this war was not our war, but my job is to defend Britain.

“It’s already had an impact on the UK, and it’s very important that we open the Strait of Hormuz. There’s a lot of work to do there.”

The US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s response, including targeting Gulf countries and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, had sent fossil fuel prices soaring around the world. Petrol and diesel prices for motorists in Britain rose sharply after Mr Trump launched the military action.

The RAC said the average price of diesel on Wednesday morning was 190.6p, up 34% since February 28, when the US-Israeli campaign began, while average unleaded prices reached 157.7p, up 19%.