U.S. and Iran Open Pakistan‑Mediated Talks as Ceasefire Teeters

Overview

• Delegations led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliament chief Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf began negotiations in Islamabad on Saturday with Pakistani mediation and moved into overnight technical sessions.
• Iran set preconditions that include a ceasefire covering Lebanon and the release of frozen assets, while the U.S. is pressing for strict nuclear and missile limits and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Israeli strikes in Lebanon continued during the talks after Wednesday’s deadliest barrage killed more than 350 people, and Israel–Lebanon negotiations are scheduled in Washington next week.
• The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed with hundreds of ships and about 20,000 seafarers stuck in the Gulf, as the U.S. said two warships transited the passage to help clear Iranian mines and Tehran called Washington’s demands excessive.
• Energy prices have climbed with disrupted oil flows, casualties have mounted in Iran and Lebanon, and Pakistan’s rare face‑to‑face mediation underscores deep mistrust that could slow any broader deal.