High-level American and Iranian leaders arrived in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Saturday to conduct negotiations aimed at ending the war that broke out between their countries six weeks ago. However, Tehran cast a shadow of doubt over the talks, stating they cannot commence without commitments regarding Lebanon and sanctions.
اضافة اعلان
The US delegation—headed by President Donald Trump’s Vice President, JD Vance, and including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—landed on two US Air Force planes at an Islamabad airbase this morning. They were received by Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Dar expressed his hope today that the United States and Iran would engage constructively in the peace talks. A statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry noted that Dar reaffirmed Islamabad's desire to continue facilitating efforts for both parties to reach a "permanent and lasting solution to the conflict."
The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived on Friday.
These talks will mark the highest-level engagement between the United States and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the first formal direct negotiations since the 2015 nuclear deal.
Trump had withdrawn the US from the nuclear accord in 2018 during his first term. That same year, Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—who was killed at the start of the war six weeks ago—banned any further direct talks between American and Iranian officials.
Writing on the X platform, Ghalibaf claimed that Washington had previously agreed to lift the freeze on Iranian assets and to a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes on Hezbollah have killed nearly 2,000 people since fighting began in March. He added that talks would not start until these commitments are fulfilled.
Israel and the US have stated that the campaign in Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire between Iran and the US, while Tehran insists that it is. Iranian state media reported Ghalibaf saying separately that Iran is ready to reach an agreement if Washington offers what he described as a "real deal" and grants Iran its rights.
Trump: Iran "Has No Winning Cards"
The White House has not yet commented on the Iranian demands, but Trump posted on social media that the only reason the Iranians are still alive is to negotiate a deal.
"It seems the Iranians don't realize they have no winning cards, other than short-term global blackmail using international waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!" Trump stated.
Vance, while en route to Pakistan, said he expects a positive outcome but added: "If they are going to try to play us, they will find that the negotiating team is not that responsive."
Sources in Islamabad reported that Pakistani officials held separate preliminary talks with advance teams from both sides. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency stated these teams included 70 members from Tehran, including technical specialists in economic, security, and political fields, as well as media and support staff. A Pakistani government source said about 100 members of the US advance team were in the city.
"We are very optimistic," another Pakistani source close to the discussions said. When asked if the talks would conclude on Saturday, the source replied: "It’s too early to say. They have instructions to clinch a deal or walk away. So they are in no rush. These talks are not time-bound."
Islamabad enforced an unprecedented lockdown on Saturday, with thousands of paramilitary and army troops on the streets ahead of what Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described as "decisive" talks.
Last Tuesday, Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in the war, halting US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran. However, this did not end the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the largest-ever disruption to global energy supplies, nor did it calm the parallel war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Fighting Continues in Lebanon
Israeli and Lebanese officials said Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh Moawad would hold talks in Washington next Tuesday, amid conflicting accounts of the agenda.
The Lebanese presidency said the two held a phone call on Friday and agreed to discuss a ceasefire declaration and set a date for US-mediated bilateral talks. However, the Israeli embassy in Washington stated the talks would mark the beginning of "formal peace negotiations" and that Israel refused to discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Israeli attacks continued in southern Lebanon on Friday. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that a strike on a government building in Nabatieh killed 13 members of the Lebanese General Security forces. Hezbollah responded by firing a barrage of rockets at towns in northern Israel.
Hours after the ceasefire was announced, Lebanese authorities said Israel launched its largest attack on Lebanon since the war began, killing more than 350 people in strikes on densely populated areas.
Tehran’s agenda in the talks also includes demands for major new concessions, including ending sanctions that have crippled its economy for years and recognizing its authority over the Strait of Hormuz, where it aims to collect transit fees and control access—a massive shift in regional power.
The energy supply disruption has exacerbated inflation and slowed the global economy, with the impact expected to last for months even if negotiators succeed in reopening the strait.
The hardline stance taken by Iranian leaders preceded a defiant message from Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Thursday. Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since succeeding his father, said Iran would demand compensation for all damages sustained during the war.
While Trump has declared victory and weakened Iranian military capabilities, the war has not achieved many of the goals he initially set, such as denying Iran the ability to strike its neighbors, dismantling its nuclear program, or facilitating regime change. Iran still possesses missiles, drones, and a stockpile of over 400 kg of uranium enriched to near bomb-grade levels.—(Reuters)
