S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials, with the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, also arriving in Islamabad. S.
in Islamabad which aim at reaching a permanent end of the war in the Middle East, and the White House confirmed the direct nature of the talks. The talks aim to shore up a shaky ceasefire and pave the way for a permanent end to the fighting, but the ceasefire brokered by Pakistan still faces hurdles in the talks. Vance arrived in Islamabad at the head of a delegation that includes President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The Iranian delegation is scheduled to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at noon Saturday, and Iran’s negotiating team, chaired by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Arghchi, met late Friday with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. Vance is a reluctant defender of the war with little diplomatic experience, while Qalibaf is a former commander with Iran's Revolutionary Guard who has issued fiery statements. The talks began days after a fragile, two-week ceasefire was announced, and the delegations discussed with Pakistan how to advance the ceasefire.
However, the ceasefire is threatened by deep disagreements and Israel's continued attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran has set conditions before negotiations can begin, with Iran's state-run news agency saying the three-party talks began after Iranian preconditions were met, including a reduction in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon. -Israeli strikes and releasing Iran's frozen assets.
Ongoing violence in Lebanon poses a direct threat to the negotiations, as Israel and Hezbollah militants have been trading fire along the border of southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s state media reports 3 killed in Israeli strikes, with the three killed when an airstrike hit and destroyed a residential building in Maifadoun town in the southern province of Nabatiyeh. Hezbollah said it fired a barrage of rockets that targeted a military facility in northern Israel, and Lebanon's health ministry said the death toll has surpassed 2,000.
S. negotiating position involves significant leverage, with President Trump instructing the entire negotiating team, comprising Secretary of State Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, to engage in honest and transparent negotiations, according to Vance. Vance highlighted the US's considerable leverage, encompassing military, diplomatic, and economic measures, which will be deployed if Iran refuses to reciprocate, and President Trump assessed that Iran possesses skilled negotiators but are less formidable as combatants, according to Vance.
Vance pointed out internal divisions within Iran regarding the deal, with officials making contradictory statements on social media, according to Vance. Hours earlier, President Donald Trump wished Vance good luck, according to multiple reports. Logistics in Islamabad reflect the talks' significance, as in Islamabad, the streets of a normally bustling capital were deserted Saturday as security forces sealed roads ahead of the talks, according to multiple reports.
Pakistan’s government has set up a state-of-the-art media center to facilitate Pakistani and foreign journalists covering the talks between the United States and Iran, according to multiple reports. -Iran contact was in 2013 when President Obama called President Rouhani, according to research. The most recent highest-level meetings were between Secretary of State Kerry and counterpart Zarif, according to research.
The war's toll has been devastating, with the war killing at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, according to research. The war caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries, according to research, and Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off Persian Gulf oil and gas exports, sending energy prices soaring, according to research. Regional actors are involved indirectly, as Chinese, Egyptian, Saudi, and Qatari officials were in Islamabad to indirectly facilitate talks, according to officials from the region.
m. Sunday in Islamabad. Implications hinge on leverage and unknowns, with Vance issuing a stern warning to Tehran, underscoring the US's unwavering commitment to a fair agreement, according to a press conference.
The exact agenda of the talks and whether Iran's preconditions have been fully met remain unclear, adding to the fragility of the ceasefire. The talks are being closely monitored by international observers, given their potential to reshape regional dynamics and end a conflict that has inflicted widespread human suffering and economic disruption across the Middle East.