U.S. and Iran to Hold First Face-to-Face Talks This Week... U.S. Masses Amphibious Forces in Show of Force [U.S.–Iran War]

Financial News New York City and Seoul – With indirect talks under way between the United States of America (U.S.) and the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the war, the two countries are working to arrange their first face-to-face negotiations on a cease-fire as early as this week. While attempting diplomacy, Donald Trump is simultaneously pressuring the Islamic Republic of Iran by brandishing the option of deploying ground forces, including the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and airborne troops, to break the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The war once again stands at a crossroads between compromise and further escalation.
Some foreign media outlets reported on the 23rd (local time), citing Pakistani government officials, that as early as this week Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to meet Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, for cease-fire talks. If realized, it would be the first face-to-face negotiations between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran since the war broke out on the 28th of last month.
Pakistan, a friendly nation to the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been mediating these talks behind the scenes. Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff, General Asim Munir, spoke by phone with President Trump on the 22nd. The following day, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the course of the war and possible solutions, relaying each side’s position in back-channel diplomacy.
■ Pakistan’s quiet mediation
Amid these moves, President Trump abruptly declared on the 23rd that he had held "productive talks with Iran to resolve the war" and announced, "I will postpone for five days the power-plant strikes I previously warned about." Earlier, on the 21st, he had given the Islamic Republic of Iran a "48-hour" deadline, issuing a final ultimatum that "if you do not open the Strait of Hormuz, I will devastate Iran’s power plants."
Trump went on to say that a U.S. delegation, including special envoy Witkoff, had held talks with top Iranian officials, adding that dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran would continue this week. U.S. political outlet Axios reported that the interlocutor Trump referred to was Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran.
Apparently mindful of domestic opinion, Ghalibaf himself denied such reports, and Iranian authorities repeated a hard-line stance that they would not bow to U.S. pressure. However, the Islamic Republic of Iran later acknowledged that indirect communication with the U.S. had in fact taken place. Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Tehran had received messages via friendly nations conveying Washington’s request for talks to end the war, and that it had responded appropriately in line with Iran’s principled position.
■ Trump proposes "joint control" of Hormuz
On the same day, Trump floated a compromise on the Strait of Hormuz issue, saying, "The Ayatollah and I can jointly control it." This has been interpreted as signaling his willingness to recognize the Islamic Republic of Iran’s new clerical leadership headed by Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei.
The key question is whether the Islamic Republic of Iran will adopt a more flexible stance than before on issues such as halting uranium enrichment, shipping nuclear material abroad, and reducing ballistic missiles. It is also unclear whether the U.S. will accept Tehran’s demands for compensation and guarantees to prevent renewed aggression. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement, the war could intensify further, potentially expanding into a full-scale ground conflict.
President Trump is exerting heavy pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran, warning that he will strike even more forcefully if the current talks collapse. In fact, the U.S. military is moving a Marine expeditionary force of about 5,000 troops toward Iran’s direction, and is also considering deploying roughly 3,000 elite airborne troops who can reach any battlefield in the world within 18 hours, The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 23rd.
The U.S. military is particularly drawing up plans to seize coastal areas around the Strait of Hormuz and Kharg Island, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s key oil-export hub. If the operation goes ahead, some 2,500 troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), seen as the most likely landing force, are expected to arrive near the Strait of Hormuz within days. Observers say the concentration of U.S. forces capable of amphibious landings constitutes a direct threat to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Lee Byung-chul and Hong Chae-wan pride@fnnews.com