International Diplomacy

Vice President Vance flies to Islamabad Tuesday for indirect negotiations with Iran, using Pakistan as the intermediary. Oil dropped 2% on the news, suggesting traders see this as genuine de-escalation rather than political theatre. The timing matters: Iran's uranium enrichment hit 60% purity last month, putting them weeks from weapons-grade material. Pakistan's role as broker signals this is about containing regional spillover, not just nuclear talks.