Washington and the Iranian government are sending veteran insiders to Pakistan as the fragile “ceasefire” draws to a close.
Published April 20, 2026
A U.S. negotiator team has arrived in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, for a second round of talks with Iran aimed at extending a two-week ceasefire that expires on Wednesday. The diplomatic efforts come amid a sharp military escalation, hours after the US Navy seized a 274-meter (900-foot) Iranian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Oman.
The negotiations have gone through a period of heightened rhetoric, with US President Donald Trump threatening to destroy Iran and destroy its power plants and civilian infrastructure if a deal is not reached. The Iranian government labeled the seizure of the ship an “act of piracy” and expressed uncertainty about participating in the meeting while the naval blockade continues.
The current diplomatic path predates the outbreak of the US-Israel war against Iran, which began on February 28th. While some figures at the table led indirect negotiations before the conflict, another key Iranian negotiator has remained permanently silent.
absentee negotiator
Just weeks before the outbreak of war, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was engaged in indirect negotiations with Washington, mediated by Oman. Born in 1958, Larijani was widely seen as the pragmatic face of the Iranian regime. The mathematician and philosopher, who wrote a university thesis on Immanuel Kant, served as the country’s chief nuclear negotiator and served as a bridge between the security apparatus and the political establishment. He was killed in an Israeli airstrike in early March, removing one of the Iranian government’s most experienced strategic minds from the current diplomatic equation.
US delegation
J.D. Vance: The 41-year-old U.S. vice president was selected to lead the U.S. delegation after leading the first round of talks in Islamabad on April 11. Born in August 1984, Vance graduated from the Marine Corps and Yale Law School and served in Iraq before entering politics. Once a fierce critic of President Donald Trump, he has now evolved into a die-hard supporter known for his unwavering support for Israel and his advocacy of an “America First” foreign policy. Jared Kushner: President Trump’s 45-year-old son-in-law currently holds no official government title, but remains a highly influential unofficial player in U.S. foreign policy. Kushner, who made his fortune in real estate, co-led indirect negotiations with Iran in Oman in early 2026, just before the conflict erupted. He previously served as a senior adviser in the White House, was a key architect of the Abraham Accords, and recently participated in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Steve Witkoff: The 69-year-old US envoy to the Middle East is a New York real estate investor and longtime golfing buddy of President Trump. Mr. Witkoff partnered with Mr. Kushner to spearhead back-channel negotiations with Iran before the war, gaining valuable experience with the Iranian delegation. President Trump has described him as “a tireless advocate for peace.”
Iranian delegation
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: Iran’s 64-year-old parliament speaker, who led the team in Tehran during the first round of talks, is a heavyweight in conservative politics. Mr. Ghalibaf, born in August 1961, has a deep background in military and security, having served as commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air force, chief of the national police, and mayor of Tehran. Abbas Araghchi: Iran’s 63-year-old foreign minister is a seasoned pragmatist and academic with a PhD from the University of Kent in the UK. Araguchi, born in December 1962, is best known as the lead negotiator who successfully navigated the complex technical negotiations that led to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. He served in both reform and conservative governments and established a reputation as one of Tehran’s most accomplished diplomats.
As Wednesday’s deadline approaches, the prospects for a permanent agreement remain highly uncertain. Millions of people in the Gulf and beyond are watching the negotiations closely. They are also concerned about the potential escalation and how the prospect of a prolonged conflict would directly impact their daily lives if Iran and the United States fail to reach a peace agreement.
