ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US Vice President JD Vance on Saturday as senior US and Iranian leaders were in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad for negotiations aimed at turning a fragile ceasefire into a broader settlement to the Middle East conflict.
Vance was accompanied by President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner while Sharif was joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Commending the commitment of both delegations to engage constructively, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that these talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region,” the statement said.
An Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also met Sharif separately as negotiations formally got underway following a two-week truce agreed earlier this week.
“Appreciating Iran’s engagement in the Islamabad Talks, the Prime Minister 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 statement from Sharif's office said.
Qalibaf and Araqchi arrived on Friday night dressed in black in mourning for the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranians killed in the conflict. They carried shoes and bags of some of the students killed during the bombing by the US of a school next to a military compound, the Iranian government said on X. They carried shoes and bags of some of the students killed during a bombing by the US of a school next to a military compound, the Iranian government said on X.
A Pakistani source told Reuters it was too early to say whether talks would end on Saturday, adding there was no time limit for negotiations.
Pakistan is hosting the talks after weeks of diplomatic outreach led by Sharif, Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief, positioning Islamabad as a key intermediary in a conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The Iran war has caused the biggest oil supply shock on record, damaging Gulf energy production and raising fears of inflation, food insecurity and a potential global economic slowdown.
Trump, ahead of midterm elections later this year, faces pressure to find an off-ramp from the conflict after announcing a ceasefire earlier this week.
Ahead of the talks, White House officials expressed skepticism that discussions could quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran’s negotiators said talks could not proceed without commitments on Lebanon and sanctions.
Ghalibaf and Araghchi have said the ceasefire must include Israel’s assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon and that Iranian assets blocked by sanctions must be released.
It remains unclear whether those demands could derail the talks, which mark the highest-level engagement between the United States and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. If the two sides hold face-to-face negotiations as expected, they would be the first direct talks since 2015, when they reached a deal on Iran’s nuclear program.
Speaking to reporters before boarding his flight to Islamabad, Vance said Trump had given him “some pretty clear guidelines” for the talks.
“We’re going to try to have a positive negotiation,” Vance said.
“If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand ... If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”
Iran has put forward a 10-point proposal that includes maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz, recognition of its right to nuclear enrichment, lifting of sanctions and an end to hostilities, including in Lebanon.
However, key differences remain over the scope of the ceasefire. The United States and Israel say the truce does not extend to Lebanon, while Iran and Pakistan maintain it was part of the understanding.
Analysts say the talks offer a rare opportunity for de-escalation, but warn that significant hurdles remain.
“This is the venue where you can put an end to this war, and let’s keep our fingers crossed for a solution which is win-win, win-win for Iran and the United States, also win-win for the international community. Most importantly, it should be a win-win solution for the Islamic Ummah,” former Pakistani ambassador Masood Khan told Arab News.
Authorities in Islamabad have tightened security ahead of the high-profile meeting, with hundreds of military, paramilitary and police personnel deployed across the capital.
With additional inputs from Reuters
