The Pakistan-brokered discussions — marking the first direct, high-level interactions between the two parties since the 1979 Islamic Revolution — are being observed worldwide with rising hopes for a breakthrough.
Prior to the trilateral talks at Islamabad’s Serena Hotel, the Vance-led US team and the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, conducted separate meetings with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
”Following the separate meetings held by PM Sharif with both delegations, the formal round of direct negotiations between Iran and the United States has officially commenced,” stated a senior Pakistani official to PTI.
According to Pakistan’s state-run PTV, Iranian and US officials convened for ”landmark peace negotiations.” The specific format of the discussions was not clearly defined.
As the negotiations progressed, the Iranian government announced on social media that ”talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad have reached the expert-level stage, with economic, military, legal, and nuclear committees joining the discussions.”
Without further details, it was noted that certain ”technical details” are in the process of being finalized.
Sources within the Pakistani establishment indicated that the overall atmosphere of the talks was ”encouraging.” Reports suggested that discussions might carry on into Sunday if no breakthrough occurred that evening.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the negotiations have advanced past general topics and entered into technical-level discussions on ”certain subjects.”
Accompanying Vance are Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, while the Ghalibaf-led Iranian team includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
The two sides arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, just four days after Iran and the US declared a two-week ceasefire. However, a significant wave of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, resulting in over 300 casualties, has severely undermined the truce.
While Tehran asserted that the attacks breached the ceasefire agreement, the US and Israel maintained that Lebanon was not included in the deal.
Earlier, both delegations were welcomed at Nur Khan airbase by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
During his discussion with the Iranian delegation, Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s genuine commitment to act as a mediator to achieve substantial outcomes from the peace talks.
While meeting with the American delegation, Sharif expressed hope that the discussions would pave the way for lasting peace in West Asia.
In related remarks, Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president, mentioned that a deal could be attainable if the American representatives acted in the interest of the US in line with President Donald Trump’s America First agenda.
”However, if we confront representatives of ’Israel First’, there will be no agreement,” he noted on social media.
Aref warned that failure to reach a peace agreement would impose ”greater costs” on the world.
Tasnim news agency previously reported that negotiations would only commence once Tehran’s ”preconditions” — including halting Israeli aggressions against Lebanon and releasing Iranian assets — were fulfilled.
Citing an ”informed source,” it later claimed that the American side has consented to release Iran’s frozen assets. However, this report has yet to be verified.
The US delegation also included Andrew Baker, Deputy National Security Advisor to the President, and Michael Vance, Special Advisor to the Vice President for Asian Affairs.
A comprehensive team of US experts on relevant topics is present in Islamabad, as noted by US officials.
Earlier, Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf posted a photo from the airplane while on his way to Pakistan. The image depicts him standing in front of portraits of Minab School students who lost their lives in strikes, placed on the airplane seats.
”My companions on this flight — Minab 168,” Ghalibaf shared alongside the photograph on social media.
US President Donald Trump has already warned that military action against Iran will resume if the discussions do not yield a peace agreement.
Before heading to Pakistan, Vance expressed optimism for the negotiations, hoping they would be ”positive.”
”As the US president stated, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly ready to extend a hand. If they attempt to manipulate us, they will find that the negotiating team is not particularly accommodating,” Vance stated before boarding his flight to Islamabad.
Upon his arrival in Islamabad early Saturday, Ghalibaf addressed reporters regarding trust issues with the US, recalling Iran’s previous experiences with the nation.
”Twice within a year, in the midst of negotiations, and despite the Iranian side’s good faith, they launched attacks against us,” he remarked, adding: ”We possess goodwill, but we cannot trust (the Americans).” He indicated that if the American side is prepared for a ”genuine agreement,” they will see Tehran’s readiness.
Iran has proposed a 10-point agenda for the discussions, which includes demands for the withdrawal of US forces from West Asia, lifting sanctions against Iran, and granting it control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan has spearheaded diplomatic efforts to convene both sides at the negotiating table, facilitated by an appeal from Prime Minister Sharif earlier this week, which led to a pause in hostilities.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi, in a telephone conversation with the country’s ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shibani, insisted that the US must fulfill its ceasefire obligations, which include ensuring the truce extends to Lebanon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted that the Israeli strikes on Lebanon clearly violated the original ceasefire and would render the negotiations fruitless.
A thick security perimeter enveloped Islamabad, which was placed on ‘red alert’ ahead of the talks.
More than 10,000 police and security personnel have been deployed to ensure extensive security for the visiting delegates, officials indicated.
The Red Zone, which houses key governmental buildings, is secured by the army and Rangers, restricting access to authorized personnel and residents only.
The Iran-US negotiations are being closely monitored globally, as their outcome could significantly influence the security of West Asia, global energy markets, and international diplomatic relations.
