US and Iranian officials yesterday began separate talks with Pakistan’s prime minister amid a ceasefire made fragile by deep disagreements and unabated fighting in Lebanon.
A delegation led by US Vice President J.D. Vance and a delegation led by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf each met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his office said.
No direct US-Iran talks had been announced as of press time last night.
Photo: AFP
Iran doubled down on parts of its earlier proposal, with its delegation telling Iranian state television it had presented some of the plan’s ideas as red lines in meetings with Sharif.
Meanwhile, Israel pressed ahead with strikes in Lebanon, even as Iran conditioned ceasefire talks on a pause in fighting there.
The Lebanese state-run news agency reported that Israeli strikes yesterday killed at least three people.
In Tehran, residents said they were skeptical yet hopeful about the talks after weeks of airstrikes carved a path of destruction across their country.
Even if one is reached, the path to recovery would be long, some said.
“Peace alone is not enough for our country, because we’ve been hit very hard, there have been huge costs, and the people have to pay for that,” 62-year-old Amir Razzai Far said in downtown Tehran.
US and Iranian officials claimed leverage, and issued new demands and preconditions as talks approached.
US President Donald Trump said Iranian officials “have no cards” to negotiate with, adding that “the only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!”
He said Iran was using the Strait of Hormuz for extortion, and that it would be opened “with or without them.”
Vance said the US was optimistic about the talks, but warned: “If they’re going to try and play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was entering negotiations with “deep distrust” stemming from prior strikes on Iran during previous rounds of talks.
His country was prepared to retaliate if it was attacked again, said Araghchi, who is part of the Iranian delegation.
Iran and the US outlined competing proposals ahead of the weekend talks reflecting the wide gulf between the two sides on key issues.
Iran published a 10-point proposal, which called for a guaranteed end to the war and no future attacks. It demanded an end to economic sanctions and sought control over the Strait of Hormuz. It also included ending fighting against Iran’s “regional allies,” explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.
The US submitted a 15-point proposal that includes restricting Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the strait.
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