ISLAMABAD, April 11: A US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance held unprecedented face-to-face talks with senior Iranian negotiators in Islamabad on Saturday in a Pakistan-brokered effort to end the West Asia conflict and stabilise global energy markets. The meeting marks the first direct high-level US-Iran engagement since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Before the formal negotiations, both the US team and the Iranian delegation separately met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who reiterated Pakistan’s role as mediator and expressed hope for durable peace.
Pakistani officials said the direct talks began after these preliminary meetings, though the exact format of the dialogue remains unclear.
The US delegation includes Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside JD Vance and other officials, while the Iranian side is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
Pakistan played a central diplomatic role in bringing both sides together, hosting the delegations in Islamabad amid a fragile ceasefire in the wider Iran-Israel-US confrontation.
The talks follow a temporary pause in hostilities, but renewed Israeli strikes in the region have raised doubts over the truce’s durability.
Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, have accused the US and its allies of undermining trust through continued military actions, while stressing that Tehran remains open to a deal if its conditions are met.
These include sanctions relief, release of frozen assets, and broader regional security guarantees.
Iran’s delegation reportedly insists that discussions must also address Israeli military actions, while US officials have warned of a possible return to military pressure if negotiations fail.
The American side, backed by officials associated with President Donald Trump’s administration, has signalled conditional openness to diplomacy if Iran engages “in good faith.”
The Iranian delegation’s presence in Islamabad, alongside high-level US officials, has drawn global attention as the first structured attempt in decades to de-escalate tensions through direct dialogue.
Pakistani leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, were present during arrivals, underscoring the country’s security and diplomatic role.
Analysts say the outcome of these talks could significantly shape regional stability, global oil prices, and future US-Iran relations, with both sides still deeply divided but engaged in sustained negotiation for the first time in years. (PTI)
