Islamabad, April 11 The US and Iran began Pakistan-brokered peace talks on Saturday, according to Iranian media, as the world awaits a breakthrough to end the West Asia conflict that has paralyzed global energy markets and caused widespread economic disruption.
Ahead of their high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad, the US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian team headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf held separate meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
There has been no official word yet on the start of the direct Iran-US talks. Pakistani officials had indicated that the negotiations were scheduled to take place at the Serena Hotel, which has been placed under heavy security.
Pakistan-mediated negotiations between Iran and the US commenced in Islamabad, according to Iranian media, without providing further details.
While Vance is accompanied by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, the Ghalibaf-led Iranian delegation comprised Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
The two sides traveled to Islamabad for the talks, four days after Iran and the US announced a two-week ceasefire. However, a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, resulting in over 300 casualties, has rendered the truce ineffective.
While Tehran claimed the assault violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement, the US and Israel stated that Lebanon was not part of the deal.
Earlier, both delegations were received at the Nur Khan airbase by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Minister for Interior, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
In his meeting with the Iranian delegation, Prime Minister Sharif affirmed Pakistan’s sincere commitment to continuing its role as a mediator towards achieving meaningful results from the peace talks.
Sharif, during his meeting with the American delegation, expressed hope that the talks between the US and Iran would lead to durable peace in West Asia.
In a related development, Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran's first vice president, said the peace talks could produce a deal if the American side works in the interest of the US in sync with President Donald Trump's "America First" approach.
"However, if we face representatives of 'Israel First', there will be no deal," he said on social media.
Aref cautioned that the world will face "greater costs" if there is no peace deal.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency earlier reported that negotiations between Iran and the US will not begin until Tehran's "preconditions," including halting Israeli hostilities against Lebanon and lifting of Iranian assets, are met.
Quoting an "informed source," it later claimed that the American side has agreed to release Iran’s frozen assets. However, there is no confirmation yet on this report.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf shared a photo from inside the airplane while en route to Pakistan. In the photograph, he is seen standing in front of images of the Minab School students killed in strikes, which were placed on the airplane seats.
"My companions on this flight — Minab 168," Ghalibaf posted on social media with the photograph.
US President Donald Trump has already cautioned that the US will resume its military action against Iran if the talks do not produce a peace deal.
Before departing for Pakistan, Vance said he was looking forward to the negotiations and hoped they would be "positive".
"As the US president said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend an open hand. If they're going to try to play us, they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive," Vance said before boarding his plane for Islamabad.
After his arrival in Islamabad early Saturday, Ghalibaf told reporters about the issue of trust with the US, reminding them of Iran’s past experience with that country.
"Twice within less than a year, in the middle of negotiations, and despite the Iranian side’s good faith, they attacked us," he said, adding: "We have goodwill, but we do not have trust (in Americans)."
He said if the American side is ready for a "genuine agreement," then it would see Tehran's readiness for it.
Iran has laid out a 10-point plan for the talks that included demands for the withdrawal of US forces from West Asia, the lifting of sanctions against Iran, and allowing it to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan led the diplomatic push to bring the two sides to the table, which became possible after an appeal by Prime Minister Sharif earlier this week, leading to a pause in the fighting.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi, who held a telephone call with the country’s ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shibani, earlier asserted that the US must live up to its ceasefire commitments, which he said included ensuring the truce covers Lebanon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the Israeli attacks on Lebanon "blatantly violated" the initial ceasefire and would render negotiations meaningless.
A thick security blanket covered Islamabad, which was on ‘red alert’ ahead of the talks.
More than 10,000 police and security personnel have been deployed to ensure multi-layered security for the visiting delegates, officials said.
The Red Zone, housing key buildings, is protected by the army and the Rangers, and only authorized officials and residents are allowed to go through it.
The Iran-US negotiations are being closely watched globally, as their success or failure could have far-reaching implications for West Asia's security, global energy markets, and international diplomacy.