Vance Expected to Attend Talks Again; Wall Street Journal Analyzes 5 Directions for US-Iran Relations

US-Iran War Key News Central Message (Central News Agency, Washington, April 20, comprehensive foreign report) The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran will expire on the 22nd, and White House officials revealed that US President Trump has no intention of extending the ceasefire. Vice President Pence is expected to depart from Washington for Pakistan on the 21st, and Iran's side revealed that if Pence attends, they will send someone for negotiations. The New York Times, citing two US officials, revealed that Pence (JD Vance) will leave Washington for Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on the 21st US Eastern Time; while two Iranian officials revealed that Iran's chief negotiator in the first round of US-Iran talks, Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will attend the meeting in the presence of Pence. Pence will depart from Washington for Pakistan on the 21st US Eastern Time. Due to the long flight time, the Iranian delegation will have ample time to observe and attend. Trump again warned that if Iran does not reach an agreement, it will face the destruction of all its bridges and power plants; The Wall Street Journal analyzes that as US-Iran moves towards a second round of negotiations, there will be five possible major directions. Trump's demands to Iran include at least freezing uranium enrichment activities for 20 years, moving high-enriched uranium out of the country, and completely lifting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Senior US officials stated that these are Trump's bottom lines. This development could force Iran to concede, but there is also the risk of Iran refusing to concede and war breaking out again. So far, Tehran still refuses to lift the blockade of the strait and has stated that it will not abandon its uranium enrichment program. The two sides may again fail to reach a final agreement after talks in Islamabad, but at least a document similar to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) could be signed, serving as a basic framework for future final agreements, which could create more space for subsequent diplomatic negotiations. Officials and analysts point out that there are many ways for both sides to compromise. One option is: Iran agrees not to enrich uranium to a higher degree for 20 years, but after the first 10 years, Iran can conduct related nuclear research, or at least produce a small amount of low-enriched uranium in the next 10 years. Other possible compromises include: Iran agrees to abandon its enriched uranium above 60% or 20% concentration, but can retain low-concentration enriched uranium. Resuming the war will subject Iran to another round of devastating strikes, but this also carries risks for the US itself. This war is highly controversial within the United States, not only causing division within the Republican Party but also driving up US energy prices and inflation. Defense officials also worry that the US may exhaust critical ammunition that would normally be needed by the US military in other regions globally. Trump may declare victory and withdraw from the war, leaving a nightmarish situation for many of the US's allies: the Iranian regime, though damaged, still exists, is capable of collecting tolls on the Strait of Hormuz, and retains the technology and capability to rebuild its nuclear program. US officials and those close to the White House claim that Trump simply withdrawing is the least likely scenario; however, this is what Arab and European officials feared most after the failure of the first round of US-Iran talks. (Compiled by Chen Yi-wei) 1150421 Stand with facts, your every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom. Download the CNA "One-stop News" APP to grasp the latest news in real time. This website's text, images, and audio may not be reproduced, broadcast, or transmitted and used without authorization. Keywords: