Uncertainty looms over US-Iran high-stakes talks in Islamabad

Uncertainty is mounting ahead of high-level talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, aimed at ending a six-week conflict.

Tehran has indicated that negotiations may not proceed without assurances on a ceasefire in Lebanon and the lifting of sanctions, raising doubts over the outcome before the talks formally begin.

The US delegation is being led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner. They arrived in Islamabad on Saturday morning (April 11) aboard US Air Force aircraft and were received by Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

The Iranian side is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived a day earlier.

This marks the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and their first face-to-face talks since the 2015 nuclear deal.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf said Washington had earlier promised to release Iranian assets and ensure a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have reportedly killed around 2,000 Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters since March.

He warned that talks would not proceed unless those commitments are fulfilled.

However, both Israel and the United States have maintained that operations in Lebanon are not part of any US-Iran ceasefire framework, a stance rejected by Tehran.

Despite the tensions, Ghalibaf said Iran remains open to an agreement if Washington presents a “real deal” and recognises Iran’s rights.

The White House has not officially responded to Iran’s demands. However, Trump said in a social media post that Iran has “no cards” beyond short-term leverage over international waterways and is now negotiating out of necessity.

Analysts say deep mistrust between the two sides continues to cast a shadow over the prospects of a breakthrough.