Saturday 11/April/2026 – 03:32 PM
A round of face-to-face talks began a short while ago in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, between delegations from the United States and Iran, with the participation of prominent figures from both sides, as part of efforts to contain regional tensions.
The American delegation included Witkoff, Vance, and Kushner, while from the Iranian side, Speaker of the Shura Council Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf and Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi participated, along with Pakistani Army Commander Asim Munir, who attended as a mediator and facilitator of the talks.
Coinciding with the start of the negotiations, the White House and the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office said in separate statements that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met on Saturday with US Vice President J.D. Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Iranian and Pakistani media also reported that hours ago, the Iranian delegation headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with the Pakistani Prime Minister to determine the timing and method of possible negotiations.
Reuters indicated that Iran’s demands in the negotiations include stopping the war on all fronts in the region, unfreezing Iran’s assets, ending sanctions, recognizing Tehran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, compensation for all war damage, allowing peaceful enrichment of uranium, and the withdrawal of American combat forces from the region.
While America’s demands include opening the strait to oil tankers and others without any restrictions, stopping the nuclear program and enrichment, significantly reducing Iran’s missile capabilities, and economic and financial restrictions and conditions that Washington did not disclose.
