Direct talks between the United States and Iran begin in Islamabad

Direct talks between the United States and Iran begin in Islamabad

Putting an end to weeks of anticipation over a potential ceasefire breakthrough, discussions between the United States and Iran have officially begun in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. According to state media reports, The Dawn confirmed the development on Saturday evening.

A Pakistani official told Reuters that a trilateral dialogue is taking place involving Iran, the United States, and Pakistan. However, it remains unclear whether the Iranian and American delegations are engaging in direct talks.

If direct communication has indeed taken place, it would mark the first high-level direct dialogue between the two countries since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

On the same day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held separate meetings with both delegations. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Asim Munir, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi were also present during the discussions.

The United States delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance. He is accompanied by Jared Kushner, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Steve Witkoff. On the other side, the Iranian delegation is headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials.

Earlier, on April 8, Iran and the United States reportedly agreed to a two-week ceasefire through Pakistan’s mediation. Since then, Islamabad has been trying to facilitate further dialogue, which ultimately led to the long-awaited meeting taking place today.

It is worth noting that on February 28, a joint strike by Israel and the United States targeted Iran, triggering a 40-day conflict between the sides. Although Pakistan helped broker a ceasefire, the agreement has remained fragile from the very beginning.