Islamabad (TDI): JD Vance has become the fifth US vice president to visit Pakistan, as he arrived in Islamabad to take part in high-stakes negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict.
His visit comes at a critical moment, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif describing the talks as “make-or-break” efforts to turn a fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting peace. The truce was announced by US President Donald Trump after weeks of fighting involving US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Alongside Vance, the US delegation includes Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, underscoring the importance Washington attaches to the Islamabad talks.
At the same time, an Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also reached Pakistan to participate in the negotiations.
US Vice Presidents Who Visited Pakistan
Visits by US vice presidents to Pakistan have been rare and typically linked to major geopolitical developments. Those who have made the trip include:
JD Vance (2026)
Joe Biden (2011)
George H. W. Bush (1984)
Hubert Humphrey (1968)
Lyndon B. Johnson (1961)
Vance is the first US vice president to visit Pakistan since Joe Biden’s trip in 2011, highlighting the renewed strategic importance of Islamabad in ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The talks are taking place amid lingering tensions despite the ceasefire, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz and continued hostilities involving Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Farkhund Yousafzai is the Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
