Trump vows to open Strait of Hormuz amid Islamabad peace talks

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday addressed the upcoming Islamabad peace talks in a tone that Western observers characterized as signaling a ‘potential breakthrough’ in Middle East tensions.

Speaking to reporters as his administration’s negotiating team headed to the region, Trump struck a characteristically bold tone regarding the military standing of regional adversaries and the prospect of a diplomatic resolution, asserting that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened as high-stakes peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran prepare to convene in Pakistan.

.@POTUS on talks in Islamabad: “We’ll find out what’s going on. They’re militarily defeated and now we’re going to open up the [Strait]… You have a good team and they meet tomorrow. We’ll see how it all works out.” pic.twitter.com/5Ol1SHZCKi

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 10, 2026

“We’ll find out what’s going on,” Trump said. “They’re militarily defeated and now we’re going to open up the [Strait]… You have a good team and they meet tomorrow. We’ll see how it all works out.”

The comments come as Islamabad transforms into a global diplomatic hub, hosting what many analysts describe as the most significant direct engagement between the United States and Iran in decades.

Iranian delegation arrives in Islamabad for crucial peace talks with US

The Iranian delegation, led by Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Baqir Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived in the Pakistani capital late Friday. In a show of the high priority Pakistan is placing on its role as mediator, the delegation was received at the airport by a top-tier reception committee, including:

– Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
– Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly.
– Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff.
– Syed Mushtaq Reza Naqvi, Interior Minister.

The presence of Pakistan’s military leadership and senior cabinet members underscores the gravity of the talks, which follow weeks of regional volatility and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

On the American side, a delegation led by Vice President JD Vance has reportedly departed Paris for Islamabad. Vance, who has been a central figure in the Trump administration’s “America First” foreign policy, is expected to join the talks on Saturday.

The U.S. team is anticipated to focus on the immediate reopening of global shipping lanes and a permanent ceasefire framework. Trump’s claim that Iran is “militarily defeated” suggests Washington intends to negotiate from a position of perceived strength, even as Iranian officials emphasize that any agreement must include the lifting of economic sanctions and guarantees of regional sovereignty.

The “Islamabad Talks” are scheduled to begin formally tomorrow. While the rhetoric from the White House remains aggressive, the physical presence of high-ranking officials from both sides in a neutral third country suggests a serious, if fragile, path toward de-escalation.