Teams of experts from Iran and the US have exchanged written texts after an hours-long in-person discussion in Islamabad, where the two sides held negotiations as a pause in the Middle East war continues.
In a post on X, Pakistan’s state broadcaster PTV News said: “Peace talks of historic significance between Iran and the United States have commenced in Islamabad, where for the first time after tensions, representatives from both sides are sitting directly at the same table.”
It said the arrival of high-level delegations, Pakistan’s effective diplomacy and positive statements from global leaders had further strengthened hopes for a ceasefire and lasting peace in the region, adding that “the eyes of the world are focused on the outcomes of these crucial negotiations.”
Earlier, the Iranian government said in a post on X that the talks were held at the “expert-level stage as economic, military, legal, and nuclear committees joined”.
“Negotiations continue at the Serena Hotel to finalise technical details,” it had added.
The talks take place during a two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran that began with US-Israeli attacks on February 28. The conflict, which spread across the Middle East and sent shockwaves through global economies, paused after Pakistan brokered a temporary ceasefire on April 8.
Subsequently, talks were scheduled in Islamabad, for which delegations from the two countries have arrived.
The US delegation is led by US Vice President JD Vance, who is accompanied by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The Iranian delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with other leaders.
In a post on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran’s delegation remained “fully committed” to safeguarding the country’s interests.
He expressed hope that the delegation would “negotiate courageously”. He added that regardless of the outcome of the negotiations, the government will “stand by its people”.
PM Shehbaz meets Iranian delegation
Prior to the talks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held separate meetings with delegations from the United States and Iran.
PM Shehbaz held a meeting with the Iranian delegation at the Islamabad Talks, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement
“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,” PMO stated.
Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi attended the meeting from the Pakistani side.
The PMO shared a video from the exchange, showing PM Shehbaz greeting Ghalibaf and Araghchi by hugging them and shaking hands.
Meeting with VP Vance
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz held a separate meeting with Vance, Witkoff and Kushner, who had arrived in Pakistan earlier in the day.
In a statement issued about the US delegation’s meeting, the PMO said, “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 added that the premier “reiterated that Pakistan looks forward to continue its facilitation of both sides in making progress towards sustainable peace in the region”.
PM Shehbaz was assisted by Dar and Naqvi, according to PMO.
Shortly after 10:30am PKT on Saturday, Vance landed at the Nur Khan Air Base, where he was greeted by Dar, Naqvi and CDF Munir.
In a statement officially confirming the US delegation’s arrival, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Dar welcomed Vance and “commended US commitment to achieving lasting regional and global peace and stability”.
The deputy premier “expressed the hope that parties would engage constructively, and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching [a] lasting and durable solution to the conflict”.
The Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad early on Saturday morning after a last-minute hurdle over Israeli strikes in Lebanon eased. Tehran had conditioned its participation on a halt to attacks in Lebanon, a point Pakistan said was included in the US-Iran ceasefire.
Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Baqher Ghalibaf shared a picture from his flight to Pakistan on social media, showing seats decorated with photographs and school bags of children martyred in the Minab school attack.
In a post shared on the social media platform X, he wrote that these were his companions on the flight. It is worth recalling that in the early days of the war, 168 people were martyred in an American and Israeli attack on a school in Minab.