The US and Iran are expected to hold peace talks in Pakistan, with reports suggesting that US Vice President Vance will serve as their negotiator.

A potential turning point has emerged in the Middle East geopolitical situation. According to a report in the British newspaper *The Guardian*, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that the country is ready to facilitate "significant and decisive negotiations" between the United States and Iran to end the nearly month-long conflict in the Middle East. The White House also confirmed that Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir spoke with US President Trump on Sunday to discuss the conflict.

JD Vance will reportedly serve as the U.S. negotiator.

According to Pakistani sources, if negotiations proceed smoothly, US Vice President JD Vance may be nominated as the chief US negotiator. Because previous negotiations led by Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner failed to gain Iran's trust, Iranian diplomatic sources have made it clear that they refuse to engage in dialogue with these two, believing Vance to be a more acceptable window for dialogue.

Trump issues 5-day ultimatum

Despite a glimmer of hope for peace talks, Trump's pressure on Iran has not lessened. Over the weekend, Trump issued a five-day ultimatum, warning the Iranian military that if it does not reopen the crucial shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz, the United States will "completely destroy" Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Trump also announced that US and Iranian officials were having "very strong and effective talks" and had reached a consensus on most points. This positive news from the negotiations eased market panic, causing international crude oil prices to fall sharply, successfully breaking below the $100 per barrel mark and hitting a new low in recent days.

Pakistan seeks to become the host country for the negotiations.

While Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt are all considered potential venues for negotiations, sources indicate that Tehran prefers to hold the talks in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Pakistan maintains close bilateral relations with the Trump administration and the Gulf states, and is home to the world's second-largest Shia Muslim population after Iran.

Furthermore, given Pakistan's heavy reliance on oil and gas imports transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict has led to severe energy shortages and soaring prices. Therefore, Pakistan is actively involved in mediation, hoping to quell the fighting as soon as possible to alleviate domestic economic pressure.

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