Senior US and Iranian officials on April 11 were present in Pakistan's capital Islamabad to conduct negotiations to end the 6-week war, but the prospect of progress remains uncertain.
The US delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance, along with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner, arrived in Islamabad and was received by Pakistan. The Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived earlier.
This is the highest-level direct contact between the two countries since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and also the first official negotiation since the Iran nuclear deal in 2015.
However, Iran has set preconditions, including requiring the US to lift the asset freeze and achieve a ceasefire in Lebanon before conducting dialogue. Mr. Qalibaf said that negotiations will not begin if these commitments are not fulfilled.
The US and Israel affirmed that the military operation in Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire agreement with Iran, while Tehran continues to consider this a directly related part.
In that context, US President Donald Trump declared that Iran no longer has an advantage in negotiations, saying that Tehran is only taking advantage of international waterways to put short-term pressure. He emphasized that the goal of the negotiations is to reach an agreement, and warned that the US will not accept being prolonged or exploited.
Vice President J.D. Vance also expressed hope for positive results, but affirmed that the US would not easily concede if Iran sought to put pressure.
Preliminary discussions were previously conducted with the participation of expert groups from both sides. Islamabad was placed under strict security with a large-scale deployment of military and paramilitary forces.
Previously, a 2-week ceasefire was announced, helping to temporarily suspend airstrikes between the US, Israel and Iran. However, the situation remained complicated as Iran had not lifted the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon continued.
Iran has also made larger demands, including ending sanctions and recognizing control over the Strait of Hormuz. These demands show that the gap between the two sides is still very large, making the prospect of reaching a comprehensive agreement unpredictable.
