The White House announced that Vice President JD Vance will lead direct talks with Iran, even as ongoing fighting in the Middle East threatens the fragile ceasefire reached earlier this week. Vance will head an American delegation to Islamabad, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with negotiations set to begin Saturday morning local time.

The ceasefire, agreed between the US and Iran, has already come under strain. Israeli strikes in Lebanon against the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia have prompted Tehran to claim violations of the truce. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the ceasefire terms were “clear and explicit", warning that the US cannot pursue both a ceasefire and ongoing war through Israeli operations. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf also cited drone incursions and restrictions on nuclear enrichment as obstacles to meaningful negotiations.

The strategic Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked, affecting global oil flows. US officials, including Vance, insisted that efforts are underway to reopen the waterway, while President Donald Trump emphasized the immediate reopening of the strait as critical. The disruptions contributed to a sharp 17% drop in oil prices, though Brent and US crude futures ended the day just below $95 per barrel, marking the first settlement below $100 in over two weeks.

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Amid the fragile truce, Israel intensified its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, targeting over 100 command centres and military sites within minutes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that the war was not over, asserting that Iran’s enriched uranium would be removed “through agreement or force". He also reiterated coordination with the US regarding military operations, countering opposition claims that Israel had been pressured into the ceasefire.

The talks come after a near six-week conflict that has claimed over 5,300 lives and disrupted regional stability. Trump announced plans to impose 50% tariffs on US imports from countries supplying weapons to Iran while also engaging with Iran’s ten-point plan for negotiations. Despite the announcement, missile attacks and drone strikes continued across the region, highlighting the fragile and complex enforcement of the truce.

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