The United States and Iran are engaging in a rare face-to-face meeting on Saturday in Pakistan, where mediators are trying to get both sides to resolve their differences to ensure peace in the Middle East.
The war with Iran halted after a tentative two-week ceasefire was secured on Tuesday. The peace talks in Islamabad are meant to bring about a long-term deal that ends the six-week conflict.
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Vice President JD Vance is leading the American delegation in the negotiations alongside Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump. Additional experts on “relevant subject areas” are in Islamabad and Washington, D.C., offering their expertise when necessary, the White House said.
The Iranian delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, both of whom have been public voices attacking the U.S. before and during the war.
The meeting marked the most direct engagement between the two countries since 2013 when then-President Barack Obama called his Iranian counterpart to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran previously threatened that the negotiations would not begin until the U.S. agreed to implement a ceasefire in Lebanon and to release the Islamic regime’s “blocked assets.” A comprehensive Israel-Lebanon ceasefire has not been announced yet, and a U.S. official denied that Iranian funds had been unfrozen.
Both sides disagreed on what aspects of the deal were implemented this week regarding a separate ceasefire in Lebanon, Iran’s supplies of enriched uranium, and access to the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the ceasefire with Iran, Israel has been targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to meet in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to resolve the matter.
Trump confirmed his administration’s talks with Iran started Saturday morning, although he said he had “no idea” if they were going to be successful.
When asked by NewsNation if he was hopeful about a good outcome, Trump said, “We’re ready to go.” He also said he will know in a “very short period of time” whether Iran is acting in good faith.
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Before departing for Islamabad on Friday, Vance expressed hope that the talks would be “positive” but warned Iran not to “play” games with the U.S. negotiators.
“As the president of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand,” he said. “If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”
