Pakistan Hosts First Direct US-Iran Talks Since 1979
Senior negotiators from the United States and Iran held face-to-face talks in Islamabad on Saturday, marking the highest-level direct meeting between the two countries since 1979. The discussions took place under Pakistani mediation, with officials from both delegations seated at the same table for the first time in decades.
The US delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance, while Iran's team was headed by Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir, who brokered a ceasefire earlier in the week, was also present during the negotiations. Other members of the American team included Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer serving as Trump's personal envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law.
The first round of discussions lasted approximately two hours and was conducted in what sources described as a positive atmosphere. This was followed by a second round focusing on technical matters, with talks divided into three key areas: security, finance, and the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a dinner for both delegations at his residence.
Before the formal talks began, Iranian negotiators met separately with Pakistani mediators led by Sharif. During these preliminary discussions, Iran demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon, reparations, and the unfreezing of blocked assets as conditions for any peace agreement. The US responded cautiously, with Vance warning that Iran should not attempt to manipulate American negotiators.
The negotiations come after years of escalating tensions. Previous diplomatic efforts, including nuclear talks held in Geneva in late February, collapsed following coordinated US and Israeli bombing campaigns against Iran. Those strikes reportedly killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Current tensions also extend to regional conflicts. Israeli forces have continued military operations in Lebanon, with Netanyahu indicating that Lebanon had approached Israel about potential peace negotiations. However, Netanyahu also vowed that Israel would continue fighting what he called Iran's terror regime and its proxies.
The US has also been conducting operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced that American forces were beginning to clear mines from the waterway and that all of Iran's mine-laying vessels had been sunk during the bombing campaign. Iran's state television countered by warning that any US warship crossing the strait would be attacked within 30 minutes. Qatar's transport ministry announced that full maritime navigation would resume on Sunday at 6am, subject to safety protocols.
Pakistani officials expressed optimism about the talks, noting that both delegations had arrived with complete authority from their capitals and had moved away from extreme positions. Reports suggested that China may offer guarantees to help secure any agreement, though Pakistani sources later clarified that a Chinese delegation had not physically traveled to Islamabad.