US and Iranian officials arrive in Pakistan for peace talks
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Top American and Iranian officials arrived in Pakistan on Saturday for the first round of talks on how to convert their two-week ceasefire into lasting peace, as officials publicly outlined competing preconditions and claimed leverage in negotiations.
As the U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived in Islamabad, the ceasefire appeared fragile. The Lebanese state-run news agency reported Israel was pressing ahead with strikes in southern Lebanon, killing at least three people. Iran said discussions would only take place if there is a ceasefire in Lebanon and blocked Iranian assets are released.
The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 1,953 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. It has largely cut off the Persian Gulf from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring and damaging infrastructure in half a dozen countries in the region.
In Tehran, residents told The Associated Press they were skeptical yet somewhat hopeful about the talks and worn down by weeks of airstrikes that have carved a path of destruction across their country.
Shahab Banitaba questioned whether the United States could be trusted to uphold any agreement.
“If we get concrete and final results, there is still a chance that the deal falls through,” he said.
Officials posture over key issues ahead of talks
U.S. President Donald Trump posted repeatedly on social media leading up to Saturday, saying Iranian officials “have no cards” to negotiate with. He accused them of using the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy supplies, for extortion.
“The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!” he wrote.
The normally bustling streets of Islamabad were deserted Saturday as security forces sealed roads ahead of the talks. Pakistani authorities urged residents to stay inside, leading the city to look like it was under curfew.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Friday the war that began on Feb. 28 was at a “make-or-break” moment.
Vance said on Friday the U.S. was optimistic about the talks, but warned: “If they’re going to try and play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was entering negotiations with “deep distrust” stemming from prior strikes on Iran during previous rounds of talks. Araghchi, who is part of Iran’s delegation in Pakistan, said on Saturday that his country was prepared to retaliate if it was attacked again.
Israel and Lebanon will have direct negotiations
Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office said Friday. Beirut is keen to hold direct talks to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah, but under a ceasefire similar to the one with Iran.
Israel wants the Lebanese government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much like was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But it is unclear whether Lebanon’s army can establish a monopoly on arms or confiscate weapons from the militant group, which has resisted efforts to curb its strength for decades.
Israel’s insistence that the ceasefire in Iran does not include a pause in its fighting with Hezbollah has threatened to sink the deal. The militant group joined the war in support of its backer, Iran in the opening days of the war.
The day the truce was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. It was the deadliest day in the country since the war began Feb. 28.
Trump said Thursday he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dial back the strikes.
Strait of Hormuz remains a sticking point
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war. Commercial vessels have avoided the strait, effectively blocking the passage of oil, natural gas and fertilizer.
The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard for oil prices, was around $97 Friday, up more than 30% since the war started.
Before the conflict, around a fifth of the world’s traded oil typically passed through the strait on more than 100 ships a day, many carrying oil to Asia. With the ceasefire in place, only 12 have been recorded passing through.
Iran has floated charging ships passing through the strait as part of a peace deal, though the idea has been widely rejected by countries including the United States and neighboring Oman.
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Metz reported from Jerusalem, Castillo reported from Beijing and Magdy reported from Cairo.