The talks are being hosted at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad with high security, according to multiple reports. The hotel was emptied of guests and a red zone established, a source within Pakistan's security service said. The White House confirmed the direct nature of the talks. The US delegation, led by JD Vance, has landed in Pakistan, AFP reported. The United States and Iran began historic face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan, according to AP. The current ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday evening Washington time, multiple reports indicate. Trump said it is 'highly unlikely' a ceasefire will be extended and warned of bombing if no deal, according to the president. Trump confirmed talks had begun but would not speculate on outcome.
Vance warned Iran not to 'try and play us', according to the vice president. He cautioned that the fragile ceasefire could be easily shattered if Iran fails to engage in genuine negotiations. Vance stated that if Iran opts for deceit and dishonesty, they will ultimately face consequences. He said President Trump has instructed the entire negotiating team to engage in honest and transparent negotiations. The US has considerable leverage encompassing military, diplomatic, and economic measures, Vance said. Trump assessed that Iran has skilled negotiators but are less formidable as combatants, according to Vance. Iran set 'red lines' including compensation for strikes and releasing Iran's frozen assets, according to Iran's state-run news agency. The three-party talks began after Iranian preconditions, including a reduction in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, were met, Iran's state-run news agency reported.
Iran has not committed to attending further talks in Islamabad, multiple reports indicate. Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said there is 'deep historical mistrust' of the US and that Iran does not submit to force, according to the president. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran will not negotiate under threat and has prepared new cards on the battlefield, according to the speaker. The Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, AP reported. There are internal divisions within Iran regarding the deal, with officials making contradictory statements on social media, according to JD Vance.
The war has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets, according to AP. The talks discussed how to advance the ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel's continued attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, AP reported. Lebanon's health ministry said the death toll from Israeli attacks has surpassed 2,000. The war has killed 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 AP. A fragile two-week ceasefire was announced days before the talks, AP reported.
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz will remain blockaded until a deal is reached, according to the president. Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring, AP reported. The U.S. military said two destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran's state media said the joint military command denied that two destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz.
There is 'deep historical mistrust' of the US and that Iran does not submit to force.
Trump posted on Truth Social that he is 'winning a War, BY A LOT' and that his deal will be better than the JCPOA, according to the president. Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the most direct U.S. contact had been in 2013 when President Barack Obama called newly elected President Hassan Rouhani, according to AP. The most recent highest-level meetings were between Secretary of State John Kerry and counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif during negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, AP reported.
Chinese, Egyptian, Saudi and Qatari officials were in Islamabad to indirectly facilitate talks, according to officials from the region speaking on condition of anonymity. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said normalization of violent language is dangerous and that $2bn a day spent on the Iran war could have saved 87 million lives, according to Fletcher.
Israeli soldiers and settlers are using sexual assault to force Palestinians out of the West Bank, according to a report by human rights and legal experts. Sexualized attacks are hastening displacement of Palestinians, with over two-thirds of households citing rising violence as a tipping point, the report said.
US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is resigning amid misconduct allegations including drinking on the job and an affair, according to an administration announcement.
The exact status of the ceasefire remains unclear, as conflicting reports suggest it may have already expired or been extended. The specific outcomes of the Islamabad talks have not been disclosed. The current status of the Strait of Hormuz blockade and its impact on global oil markets is uncertain.