American and Iranian officials were holding face‑to‑face talks in Pakistan on Saturday, the most significant since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, as the longtime foes attempt to end a war that has plunged the Middle East into violence and rattled the global economy.
The trilateral direct negotiations, hosted by Pakistan in its capital Islamabad, mark a departure from recent practice where both sides spoke through mediators while seated in separate rooms. A senior White House official described the meeting as “a critical step forward,” underscoring the gravity of the moment.
Sources close to the mediation told Al Jazeera that the first phase of in‑person talks has ended, with delegations now exchanging written texts to confirm alignment on agreements reached earlier in the day. The talks have entered an “expert‑level stage,” with committees on economic, military, legal, and nuclear issues tasked with finalizing technical details.
Iran’s delegation numbers 71, including negotiators, experts, media representatives, and security personnel, according to state‑affiliated Tasnim. The US has also brought a full suite of specialists, with additional experts supporting from Washington.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz, where US Central Command announced that two Navy guided‑missile destroyers — the USS Frank E Peterson and USS Michael Murphy — have begun clearing mines laid by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. “Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” said Adm Brad Cooper, Centcom commander.
President Donald Trump echoed the effort in a post on Truth Social, saying the US was “starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to countries all over the world.” Despite the ceasefire, CNN reported that only around 30 ships have passed through the strait this week, highlighting the ongoing risks.
Vice President JD Vance is leading the US delegation, while Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf heads Tehran’s team. Both sides face pressure to deliver progress, with global energy markets and regional stability hanging in the balance.
Vance said before leaving the US that if the other side was “willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand.”
But he said the negotiating team would not be receptive “if they’re going to try to play us,” he added.
Experts however said Iran’s delegation showed it was serious about leaving Pakistan with a deal.
“The size, seniority, and breadth of the Iranian delegation... signal both Tehran’s sincerity in these negotiations and its expectations and confidence,” said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
The ceasefire is already under strain, notably from Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon, which Iran and Pakistan insist is covered under the current truce.
The Israeli military said yesterday it had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon within the last 24 hours, among them rocket launchers.
On Friday, Lebanon’s presidency said that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week.
Prime Minister Sharif, whose country’s down-to-the-wire mediation got both sides to the negotiating table this week, said the talks in Islamabad would not be easy.
“An even more difficult stage lies ahead,” he said, referring to efforts to permanently end fighting that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, sparking Iranian retaliation against Israel and across the Gulf.
“This is that stage which, in English, is called the equivalent of ‘make or break.’”
On the US side, Trump has demanded the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as a condition for the two-week ceasefire.
The strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude passes, has not reopened to normal traffic, however, and Trump vowed on Friday to have it open soon “with or without” Iran’s cooperation.
He added that his top priority at the Islamabad talks was to ensure the Islamic Republic had “no nuclear weapon. That’s 99% of it.”
Security was tight in the Pakistani capital yesterday, with a heavy police and paramilitary presence on the streets and road diversions around the “red zone” where government and diplomatic buildings are located.
Pakistan has formulated a team of experts to facilitate the two sides in negotiations on navigation, nuclear and other key matters, a diplomatic source familiar with the matter told AFP.
The negotiations will be closely watched by other key regional players, with Egypt and Turkiye having helped with mediation, along with China, all of which Pakistan was still coordinating closely with for the talks, the source said.
In Tehran, a 30-year-old resident told AFP he was sceptical negotiations would be successful, describing most of what Trump says as “pure noise and nonsense.”
