The United States and Iran began negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday, days after announcing a fragile, two-week ceasefire as the war that has killed thousands of people and rocked global markets entered its seventh week.
Iran’s state news agency said the tripartite talks began after Iranian requirements, including a reduction in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, were met and after U.S. and Iranian officials met separately with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. There were no immediate further details or US comment.
The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, and the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, discussed how to advance the ceasefire, already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel’s ongoing attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“I can’t say whether they are in the same room or in separate rooms, but the talks have started and are progressing well,” said a Pakistani official with knowledge of the peace effort, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Iran sets ‘red lines’ including compensation for attacks
Iran doubled down on parts of its earlier proposal, with its delegation telling Iranian state television that it had presented some of the plan’s ideas as “red lines” in meetings with Sharif. This included compensation for damage caused by the US-Israeli attacks that triggered the war on February 28 and the release of Iran’s frozen assets.
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. Iran’s stranglehold on the vital Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, causing energy prices to rise. Attacks have caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen countries in the Middle East.
In Tehran, residents told the Associated Press they were skeptical but hopeful about the talks after weeks of air strikes devastated some 93 million people in their country. Some said the road to recovery was long.
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“Peace alone is not enough for our country because we were hit very hard and enormous costs were incurred,” said 62-year-old Amir Razzai Far.
Meanwhile, Israel continued its attacks in Lebanon after declaring there was no ceasefire there. Iran and Pakistan disagreed. The Lebanese state news agency reported at least three people were killed. No strikes were reported in the afternoon.
Officials comment on important issues ahead of the talks
U.S. and Iranian officials asserted influence and made new demands and preconditions as talks neared. President Donald Trump repeatedly posted on social media in the lead-up to Saturday that Iranian officials had “no cards” to negotiate with.
“The only reason they’re still alive today is to negotiate!” he wrote.
He accused Iran of using the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy supplies, for extortion, telling reporters on Friday that it would be opened “with or without them.”
On Saturday, Trump said on social media that the U.S. had begun “clearing” the strait, but it was unclear whether he was referring to reported mine use there or to Iran’s broader ability to control the area.
Islamabad was deserted as security forces sealed off streets and authorities urged residents to stay indoors.
Vance said Friday that the U.S. was optimistic about the talks but warned: “If they try to outplay us, they will find that the negotiating team is not as receptive.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was entering the negotiations with “deep mistrust” after attacks on Iran in previous rounds of talks. Araghchi, who is part of the Iranian delegation to Pakistan, said on Saturday his country was ready to retaliate in case of another attack.
Iran and the United States have laid out competing proposals ahead of the talks, reflecting the wide divide on key issues.
Iran’s 10-point proposal called for a guaranteed end to the war and sought control of the Strait of Hormuz. This included ending fighting against Iran’s “regional allies” and explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah.
The 15-point US proposal includes restricting Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the strait.
Israel and Lebanon will hold direct negotiations
Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin on Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office said on Friday, after Israel made a surprise announcement that it would authorize talks even though the country has no official relations.
Israel wants the Lebanese government to take responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, similar to what was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But it is unclear whether the Lebanese army will be able to seize weapons from the militant group, which has survived decades of efforts to curb its strength.
Israel’s insistence that Iran’s ceasefire does not include a halt to its fighting with Hezbollah threatens to unravel the deal. The militant group took part in the war in support of Iran in its early days. Israel followed with air strikes and a ground invasion.
On the day the ceasefire deal with Iran was announced, Israel bombarded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people in Lebanon’s deadliest day since the war began, according to the country’s health ministry.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a sticking point
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has proven to be its greatest strategic advantage in the war. Merchant ships have bypassed the strait, effectively blocking the passage of oil, natural gas and fertilizer.
The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard for oil prices, topped $94 on Saturday, rising more than 30% since the start of the war.
Before the conflict, around a fifth of the world’s traded oil typically passed through the strait on more than 100 ships per day. With the ceasefire in effect, only twelve people were recorded in transit.
Iran has floated the idea of
