The United States and Iran are holding their highest level talks in years in Islamabad, Pakistan, in a bid to turn a fragile two week ceasefire into a lasting end to the war that has shaken global energy markets.
- The war behind the talks
On February 28, the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and hit key military and nuclear sites, with more than 2,000 people killed in five weeks. Tehran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which about a fifth of global oil and gas passes, pushing energy prices higher and disrupting trade. On April 8, Pakistan brokered a two week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council saying the talks could last up to 15 days and the truce expected to expire on April 22. - Pakistan’s new role as mediator
Pakistan, better known internationally for security and economic challenges, is now hosting the first direct negotiations between the US and Iran since the war began. Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan in 1947, and the two neighbours share a 900 kilometre border as well as deep historical, cultural and religious ties, including one of the world’s largest Shia populations outside Iran. At the same time, Islamabad has long standing links with Washington, Riyadh and Beijing, giving it a wide diplomatic network. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar recently consulted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, with China backing Pakistan’s mediation as being in the common interest of all parties. US President Donald Trump told AFP that China helped bring Iran to the table, a claim also supported by Pakistani officials. - What each side wants
The gap between Washington and Tehran remains wide. The reported 15 point US proposal focuses on Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, ballistic missiles, sanctions relief and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to normal traffic. Iran has countered with a 10 point plan demanding control over the strait, the right to collect tolls from passing ships, an end to all regional military operations and a full lifting of sanctions. Lebanon is another key sticking point: Israel has continued strikes there against Hezbollah even after the ceasefire began, while Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that these attacks risk making the talks meaningless. US Vice President JD Vance has suggested there may have been a misunderstanding over whether Lebanon was covered by the ceasefire. - Who is at the table
Vice President Vance is leading the US delegation, joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son in law Jared Kushner. It is the most senior US engagement with Iran since Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal. On the Iranian side, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guard commander, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to head the team. Earlier Oman mediated talks between Witkoff and Araghchi were cut short when the latest war erupted. - Islamabad under tight security
The talks are being held in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, under heavy security. Authorities have not publicly confirmed the exact venue, but the high security Red Zone has been effectively locked down, with traffic diversions and a large deployment of armed personnel. The Serena Hotel, near the foreign ministry, asked guests to leave ahead of the meetings, and the government declared a two day public holiday on Thursday and Friday. The negotiations are expected to be indirect, with US and Iranian teams in separate rooms and Pakistani officials shuttling proposals between them, similar to earlier rounds mediated by Oman.
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