Trump confirms Vance not heading to Pakistan for Iran talks

In the wake of reports of Vice President JD Vance heading the diplomatic efforts to Pakistan for Iran talks, President Donald Trump clarified he would not be part of the delegation, citing security concerns.

Speaking with ABC, the president said on such short notice, the Secret Service will not be able to provide required security arrangements, saying, “It’s only because of security,” he said, noting, “JD’s great.”

Trump's statement comes nearly an hour after Vance is said to lead a US delegation set to go to Islamabad for talks with Iran to shore up a shaky ceasefire, according to Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, to ABC News' This Week.

Separately, President Donald Trump also confirmed – as part of a diplomatic push – that the US negotiators will arrive "tomorrow" in Pakistan.

Efforts for diplomacy intensify after tensions over the Strait of Hormuz – a vital global route for trade – remain in a volatile situation, with Trump ramping up pressure on Iran, telling Fox, "If Iran does not agree to a deal, the whole country is getting blown up."

In a separate statement on Truth Social, in his usual blustering style, Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement.

"Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — a total violation of our ceasefire agreement!"

Expanding on how Iran violated a ceasefire, Trump alleged that vessels belonging to France and the United Kingdom came under fire from Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Many of them were aimed at a French ship and a freighter from the United Kingdom. That wasn’t nice, was it?"

Elsewhere in the post, Trump said he is offering Iran what he described as a "fair and reasonable" deal, but if an agreement is not reached, he threatened the country would pay dearly.

"We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant and every single bridge in Iran. NO MORE MR NICE GUY!"

Iran is yet to publicly respond to Trump's claims.