The talks, which aim at reaching a permanent end to the war in the Middle East, come as Iran has set conditions before negotiations can begin. The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and including Foreign Minister Abbas Arghchi, arrived early Saturday in Islamabad. Qalibaf said on X that discussions will only take place if there is an Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets. The Iranian negotiating team, chaired by Qalibaf, met late Friday with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, ahead of the main 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. Before departing for Pakistan, Vance warned Iran not to 'play' the U.S. Hours earlier, President Donald Trump wished Vance good luck.
Meanwhile, escalating violence in Lebanon has complicated the diplomatic efforts. Israel and Hezbollah militants have been trading fire along the border of southern Lebanon. The Lebanese National News Agency reported multiple Israeli strikes early Saturday in southern Lebanon, killing at least three people. The three were killed when an airstrike hit and destroyed a residential building in Maifadoun town in the southern province of Nabatiyeh. In response, Hezbollah said it fired a barrage of rockets that targeted a military facility in northern Israel.
The ceasefire brokered by Pakistan still faces hurdles in the talks beginning Saturday, with Iran’s preconditions adding to the challenges. In Islamabad, the streets of a normally bustling capital were deserted Saturday as security forces sealed roads ahead of the talks. 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.
Upcoming diplomatic meetings include the Iranian delegation scheduled to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at noon Saturday. It remains unclear what specific conditions Iran has set beyond an Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon and release of blocked assets, or whether the U.S. delegation has agreed to these preconditions. The exact status of the shaky ceasefire and what specific hurdles remain are also unknown, as is the outcome of the meeting between the Iranian delegation and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Whether the talks will lead to a permanent end to the war as intended is yet to be determined.