ISLAMABAD: Senior officials from the United States and Iran gathered in Islamabad on Saturday for high-stakes negotiations aimed at ending a six-week conflict, though Tehran signalled reservations by insisting that progress depends on commitments regarding Lebanon and sanctions relief.
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The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, arrived in the capital aboard US Air Force aircraft. The team includes Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner.
They were received at an air base by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, had arrived in Islamabad a day earlier to participate in the talks.
The negotiations follow a two-week ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump after weeks of conflict involving US and Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory actions by Tehran.
The Islamabad meeting is expected to mark the highest-level engagement between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. If direct talks take place as anticipated, it would also be the first face-to-face negotiations between the two sides since the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain elevated, particularly over issues related to Lebanon, sanctions, and regional security dynamics.
Pakistan, hosting the talks, continues to position itself as a key mediator, seeking to facilitate dialogue and help both sides move toward a lasting and comprehensive peace agreement.
