ISLAMABAD — Vice President JD Vance and the US delegation to the peace talks here with Iran are en route to Pakistan and expected to land within hours, President Trump on Monday told The Post — adding that he was willing to meet with senior Iranian leaders if a breakthrough is reached.
“We’re supposed to have the talks,” Trump said in a brief interview, brushing aside doubts about whether negotiations would fall apart. “So I would assume at this point nobody’s playing games.”
The president confirmed that a high-level US delegation — including Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner — is already en route to Islamabad for the next round of negotiations.
“They’re heading over now,” Trump said shortly after 9 a.m. EST. “They’ll be there tonight, [Islamabad] time.”
The timeline underscores the urgency surrounding the talks, which come days ahead of the expiration of the US-Iran cease-fire amid escalating tensions in the region.
Trump signaled openness to a dramatic diplomatic step: meeting directly with Iranian leadership if the opportunity arises.
“I have no problem meeting them,” he said. “If they want to meet, and we have some very capable people — but I have no problem meeting them.”
At the heart of the negotiations, Trump said, is one non-negotiable demand: Iran must abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“Get rid of their nuclear weapons. That’s all very simple,” he said. “There will be no nuclear weapon.” He added that Iran has the potential to thrive if it complies.
“Otherwise, a wonderful country — it truly could be,” Trump said.
But the president declined to spell out what consequences Tehran could face if it refuses to comply or if talks collapse — particularly as the ceasefire deadline looms.
“Well, I don’t want to get into that with you,” he said when asked whether the US would escalate measures, such as seizing additional ships tied to Iran. “You can imagine. It wouldn’t be pretty.”
Asked whether the US knows who is leading Iran, Trump said: “We have pretty good ideas, and we think we’re dealing with the right people.”
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