Peace Talks on the Line: U. S. , Iran Face Hurdles in Islamabad

The United States and Iran were set to meet in Islamabad on Saturday, hoping to stop a war that began six weeks ago. The U. S. team, led by Vice President J. D. Vance and including former envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had just finished refueling in Paris before heading to Pakistan. Iran’s group, headed by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araqchi, arrived the day before. Iran insists that any discussion must include promises about Lebanon and lifting sanctions. Qalibaf posted on X that Washington had earlier agreed to unblock Iranian assets and a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israeli attacks on Hezbollah fighters have already killed about 2, 000 people. He said talks would not start until those commitments were met. Israel and the U. S. say Lebanon’s fighting is separate from the Iran‑U. S. ceasefire, while Tehran argues otherwise. The White House did not respond immediately to Iran’s demands, but former President Trump posted on social media that the Iranians were alive only for negotiation. Vance, meanwhile, told reporters he expected a positive outcome but warned that if Iran tried to play games, the U. S. team would not be easily swayed. Islamabad was on high alert with thousands of soldiers on the streets as the talks approached what Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called a “make‑or‑break” meeting.The war has already halted U. S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, but it has not ended the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. That blockage has caused the biggest disruption to global energy supplies in history, leading to higher prices and slowing the world economy. Iran wants new concessions, including ending sanctions that have hurt its economy for years and gaining control over the strait to collect transit fees. Even though Iran’s ships passed through the strait unimpeded on Friday, other countries’ vessels were still stuck inside. Meanwhile, fighting continues in Lebanon. Israeli and Lebanese officials are scheduled to talk in Washington next week, but their statements conflict over whether a ceasefire will be discussed. Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon killed 13 security officers in Nabatieh, and Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israeli towns in response. After the ceasefire was announced, Israel launched a large attack that killed more than 350 people in densely populated areas. The war has not achieved many of President Trump’s goals, such as removing Iran’s ability to strike neighbors or dismantling its nuclear program.