Islamabad, Apr 11: US Vice President J D Vance and Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Pakistan on Saturday to hold high-stakes peace talks, as the international community awaits a breakthrough to end the escalating conflict in West Asia that has triggered widespread economic disruptions.
While Vance is accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, the Ghalibaf-led Iranian delegation comprised Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
The two sides are in Islamabad to attend the Pakistan-mediated peace talks, four days after Iran and the US announced a two-week ceasefire.
However, a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, killing more than 300 people, has left the truce in tatters.
While Tehran claimed the assault violated the terms of the ceasefire understanding, the US and Israel said Lebanon was not part of the deal.
Iranian and American delegations are set to hold individual meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before any potential negotiations commence, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said.
Both the delegations were received at the Nur Khan airbase by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Minister for Interior, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
Welcoming the US delegation, Dar, also the Foreign Minister, “commended US commitment to achieving lasting global and regional peace and stability.”
Expressing hope that the two sides would engage constructively, Dar reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching a lasting and durable solution to the conflict in West Asia, according to the Pakistan Foreign Office.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf shared a photo from inside the aeroplane while en route to Pakistan. In the photograph, he is seen standing in front of the images of the Minab School students killed in strikes placed on the aeroplane seats.
“My companions on this flight — Minab 168,” Ghalibaf posted on social media with the photograph.
The Tasnim news agency earlier reported that negotiations between Iran and the US will not begin until the Tehran’s “preconditions” including stopping Israeli hostilities against Lebanon are met.
“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties are yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,” Ghalibaf said on social media before leaving for Pakistan.
“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” he said.
US President Donald Trump has already cautioned that the US will resume its military action against Iran if the talks do not produce a peace deal.
Before departing for Pakistan, Vance said he was looking forward to the negotiations and hoped that it would be “positive”.
“As the US president said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend an open hand. If they’re going to try to play us, they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” Vance said before boarding his plane for Islamabad.
The Iranian media reported that Iran’s delegation to Islamabad comprised 71 people, including negotiators, experts and security officials.
Pakistan led the diplomatic push to bring the two sides to the table, which became possible after an appeal by Prime Minister Sharif earlier this week, leading to a pause in the fighting.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi, who held a telephone call with the country’s ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shibani, earlier asserted that the US must live up to its ceasefire commitments, which he said included ensuring the truce covers Lebanon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had said that the Israeli attacks on Lebanon “blatantly violated” the initial ceasefire and would render negotiations meaningless.
A thick security blanket covered Islamabad, which was on ‘red alert’ ahead of the talks.
More than 10,000 police and security personnel have been deployed to ensure multi-layered security for the visiting delegates, officials said.
The Red Zone, housing key buildings, is being protected by the army and the Rangers, and only authorised officials and residents are allowed to go through it.
The upcoming negotiations are being closely watched globally, as their success or failure could have far-reaching implications for West Asia’s security, global energy markets, and international diplomacy. (PTI)
