Recently, Vance met with envoy Steve Wittkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Islamabad. Meanwhile, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Iran sent a large 71-member delegation to participate in this engagement. The delegation is headed by Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has a background as a veteran of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and other senior officials accompanying him include Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
Regarding this consultation, the Iranian delegation made its position clear before and after arriving in Pakistan. According to reports from the semi-official Fars News Agency, Ghalibaf stated during an interview in Islamabad that Iran came with goodwill, but there is a lack of trust between the two sides. He emphasized that in the upcoming negotiations, as long as the U.S. shows readiness to reach a genuine agreement and effectively safeguard the rights of the Iranian people, the U.S. will see that Iran is also willing to facilitate an agreement. Additionally, before arriving in Pakistan, Ghalibaf also suggested on social media that a ceasefire in Lebanon is one of the measures that must be implemented before the negotiations begin. He also demanded the release of Iran's frozen assets but did not provide more details on this matter.
Before the formal talks began, the U.S. also intended to exert greater pressure on Iran. U.S. President Trump stated plainly in a social media update on Friday that Iran's only remaining trump card is to use international waterways for short-term extortion, which actually refers to Iran's substantive blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Later on Friday evening, this U.S. leader revealed to the media that he expects the strait to reopen soon and warned that if it does not reopen as scheduled, he may resume military action. As the U.S. representative, Vance also made it clear to the media before his trip that Trump had set clear guidelines for this meeting. He not only called on Iran to take the negotiations seriously but also solemnly warned Tehran not to try to play us.
The current external environment undoubtedly complicates the talks in Islamabad. Although the Middle East region has generally maintained a ceasefire, tankers and other vessels still struggle to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and the ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah add uncertainty to the negotiations. As for the specific timetable for this round of dialogue, neither side has publicly announced it, and how long the talks will last remains unknown. What is certain is that the future discussion agenda will be extremely rich, with core topics focusing on the fate of Iran's uranium stockpiles and missile production, U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran, and the broader military presence of the U.S. in the Middle East.
Regarding this consultation, the Iranian delegation made its position clear before and after arriving in Pakistan. According to reports from the semi-official Fars News Agency, Ghalibaf stated during an interview in Islamabad that Iran came with goodwill, but there is a lack of trust between the two sides. He emphasized that in the upcoming negotiations, as long as the U.S. shows readiness to reach a genuine agreement and effectively safeguard the rights of the Iranian people, the U.S. will see that Iran is also willing to facilitate an agreement. Additionally, before arriving in Pakistan, Ghalibaf also suggested on social media that a ceasefire in Lebanon is one of the measures that must be implemented before the negotiations begin. He also demanded the release of Iran's frozen assets but did not provide more details on this matter.
Before the formal talks began, the U.S. also intended to exert greater pressure on Iran. U.S. President Trump stated plainly in a social media update on Friday that Iran's only remaining trump card is to use international waterways for short-term extortion, which actually refers to Iran's substantive blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Later on Friday evening, this U.S. leader revealed to the media that he expects the strait to reopen soon and warned that if it does not reopen as scheduled, he may resume military action. As the U.S. representative, Vance also made it clear to the media before his trip that Trump had set clear guidelines for this meeting. He not only called on Iran to take the negotiations seriously but also solemnly warned Tehran not to try to play us.
The current external environment undoubtedly complicates the talks in Islamabad. Although the Middle East region has generally maintained a ceasefire, tankers and other vessels still struggle to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and the ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah add uncertainty to the negotiations. As for the specific timetable for this round of dialogue, neither side has publicly announced it, and how long the talks will last remains unknown. What is certain is that the future discussion agenda will be extremely rich, with core topics focusing on the fate of Iran's uranium stockpiles and missile production, U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran, and the broader military presence of the U.S. in the Middle East.