Trump: Iran 'No Cards' as Vance Flies to Pakistan for Talks
SkimNews Take
The optimism of a swift Hormuz reopening sits uneasily alongside active UK military contingency planning and warnings of ceasefire fragility, suggesting the public timeline may be running ahead of the actual conditions on the water.
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- Trump claimed on April 10, 2026 that Iran has 'no cards' in upcoming US-Iran talks except for its 'effective stranglehold' on the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel.
- JD Vance departed Washington for US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan on April 10, saying he hoped for a 'positive' outcome but warning the US negotiating team would not be 'receptive' if Iran tried to 'play' the US.
- Kamal Kharazi, a former Iranian Foreign Minister who served under reformist President Mohammad Khatami and later as foreign affairs adviser to late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died late on April 9, 2026 after being wounded in an airstrike the previous week, Iranian state television reported.
Why it matters: Trump's claim that Iran has 'no cards' beyond the Strait of Hormuz makes the shipping channel the central leverage point in the Pakistan-hosted talks. Vance publicly framed the US position as a conditional 'open hand' — willing to negotiate in good faith but warning the team would not be 'receptive' to being played.
