Direct talks being held between US, Iran in Islamabad

Direct talks have begun between the US and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, state media PTV News has reported.

The US delegation is led by US Vice President JD Vance, who is accompanied by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

The Iranian delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with other leaders.

The economic, political, and legal technical committees from the US and Iran are also reported to have held meetings, and the negotiators from the two sides have been reportedly joined by their experts.

The Iranian government, in a post on X, also confirmed that the talks have entered the “export level stage as economic, military, legal, and nuclear committees joined”.

“Negotiations continue at the Serena Hotel to finalise technical details,” it added.

The talks are taking place during a two-week halt in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began with US-Israeli attacks on February 28. The conflict, which spread across the Middle East and sent shockwaves through global economies, paused after Pakistan brokered a temporary ceasefire on April 8.

Meanwhile, in a post on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran’s delegation remained “fully committed” to safeguarding the country’s interests.

He expressed hope that the delegation would “negotiate courageously”. He added that regardless of the outcome of the negotiations, the government will “stand by its people”.

Prior to the talks, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held separate meetings with delegations from the United States and Iran.

As of Friday, talks had come close to being derailed as Iran insisted it would not join negotiations unless Israeli strikes in Lebanon stopped.

Ghalibaf made clear on Friday evening that Tehran’s participation hinged on two conditions — a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad, estimated at about $7 billion. He said these steps “must be fulfilled before negotiations begin”.

An Iranian official told Dawn: “We forced a pause in attacks in Beirut and Dahieh by making it a red line in negotiations and also made it clear that if Israel crosses it again, talks would be off.”

Iran maintains that any ceasefire must extend across all fronts, including Hezbollah, while the US and Israel have treated Lebanon attacks as outside the scope of the truce despite an initial understanding that Lebanon would be part of the ceasefire.

The divergence has repeatedly threatened to unravel the diplomatic track.

Ahead of his departure from Washington, Vance described the expected talks as potentially “positive” and said the US was prepared to negotiate in good faith, while cautioning that Washington would not be “receptive” to what it sees as stalling tactics.

Trump, however, struck a harder note, warning that Iran did not have “many cards” left and that military action could resume if the talks failed. He also criticised Tehran over continued restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains a key point of leverage in the standoff.

Shehbaz said Pakistan, which has played a central role in facilitating the talks, would “try its level best” to ensure their success. He framed the negotiations as an opportunity to resolve “contentious issues through dialogue” but acknowledged the complexity of the task ahead.

The agenda reflects that complexity. While the talks are based on Iran’s 10-point proposal, which was accepted by Washington as a general framework, fundamental differences persist between the two sides.

The US is expected to push for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme, including limits on enrichment and possible removal of nuclear material, while Iran is demanding full sanctions relief, recognition of its nuclear rights, a framework for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and access to frozen funds.

Regional proxy networks, missile ranges and sequencing of concessions remain additional flashpoints.

Officials and analysts believe that the breadth of issues makes it unlikely that substantive breakthroughs will emerge within the initial two-day engagement. At best, the opening round may establish a pathway for continued negotiations or yield limited understandings on immediate de-escalation measures.

Expectations, therefore, remain cautious. The arrival of delegations in Islamabad would, nevertheless, represent a rare diplomatic opening, but the process is unfolding under considerable strain with ongoing violence in Lebanon, continued disruption in Gulf shipping lanes and deep mistrust between Washington and Tehran.

Source: DAWN