On April 15, 2026, Vice President of the United States, Vance, stated that there has been a long-standing lack of mutual trust between the United States and Iran, making it difficult to resolve in the short term. However, he also pointed out that the Iranian negotiating representatives are willing to reach an agreement, and the overall progress has left him feeling quite positive.
Vance made these remarks at an event hosted by Turning Point USA in the United States, emphasizing that there are many distrust issues between the US and Iran that cannot be resolved overnight. But he found the current direction of the negotiations encouraging, stating that the US is holding a “very good feeling” about the current situation.
President Trump revealed that negotiations to end the conflict with Iran may resume in the next two days in Pakistan. Over the weekend, following the breakdown of negotiations, Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, leading to a temporary escalation of tensions.
Currently, a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire in about a week. Vance traveled to Pakistan last weekend to personally participate in negotiations, attempting to ease the conflict.
Last weekend, the two parties held the first round of talks in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where Iran did not agree to the US demands, including abandoning its nuclear ambitions. After the breakdown of negotiations, Trump ordered the blockade of Iranian ports. However, communication between the two sides is still ongoing.
The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched military actions against Iran to eliminate its nuclear weapons program. Iran retaliated, targeting Israel and Persian Gulf Arab countries hosting US military bases.
Since the “Operation Epic Fury” launched by the US-Israel coalition on February 28, Iran has not only retaliated against civilians and infrastructure in the Gulf region but also frequently targeted ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz with retaliatory attacks. Reports indicate that the United Arab Emirates has suffered over 2,300 missile and drone attacks from Iran.
Overall, while the US and Iran have signaled for dialogue, the lack of mutual trust remains the biggest obstacle, making it challenging to clarify the situation in the short term.