Iranian negotiators meet Pakistani PM in Islamabad ahead of US talks

The Iranian negotiating team, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, has held a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad ahead of talks with the United States. 

Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in efforts to end an unlawful war waged by the US and Israel against the Islamic Republic late in February.

The meeting was held in Islamabad on Saturday prior to the Pakistani-mediated negotiations which are scheduled to convene with the American negotiators later in the day.

According to Tasnim news agency, the Iranian delegation intends to assess the US position and its fulfillment of commitments during today’s sessions, after which a decision will be made regarding negotiations with the US.

Earlier in the day, US Vice President JD Vance also met with the Pakistani prime minister in Islamabad.

Vance was joined for the bilateral meeting by special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. 

Sharif was joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sen. Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with Interior Minister Sen. Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, according to a news release from the Pakistani prime minister’s office. 

There was no press coverage of the meeting.

Sharif commended both sides’ commitment to engaging constructively, and “expressed the hope that these talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region,” his office wrote in the news release.

He hailed Iran’s engagement in the Islamabad talks and affirmed Pakistan’s sincere resolve to continue playing its role as a mediator to help build momentum towards achieving meaningful results in the interest of regional and global peace and stability.

A high-ranking Iranian delegation arrived in the Pakistani capital for talks with the United States, amid the Islamic Republic’s warnings that failure to meet Tehran’s preconditions would lead to the failure of the talks. 

Headed by the Iranian parliament speaker, the delegation, featuring security, political, military, economic, and legal committees, arrived in Islamabad on Friday. 

Other Iranian officials on the delegation include Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Secretary of the Supreme National Defense Council, Ali-Akbar Ahmadian, and Governor of the Central Bank, Abdolnasser Hemmati, as well as some members of the Parliament.

Iran and the US announced a ceasefire on Tuesday, 40 days after the country joined the Israeli regime in launching their latest bout of unprovoked aggression against Iran.

Iranian officials have stressed that the rights of the Iranian people must be guaranteed during the talks and have presented their conditions as part of a 10-point proposal, which US President Donald Trump previously said would serve as a basis for negotiations.

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