ISLAMABAD: US Vice President JD Vance landed in Islamabad on Saturday morning to lead high-level talks with Iranian officials. These negotiations aim to transform the fragile two-week ceasefire into a lasting peace deal in the Middle East.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir warmly received Vance at Nur Khan Air Base upon his arrival. The Iranian delegation, headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, had reached Islamabad earlier.
Make-or-Break Negotiations Begin in Pakistan
Indeed, Pakistan managed to achieve a successful truce from April 8 despite weeks of aggressive attacks by US-Israel against Iran, which commenced on February 28. Both parties will now begin their first ever high-level negotiations in decades. What is more, these negotiations are fraught with high expectations because both parties have unresolved matters regarding Iran’s nuclear project and other concerns.
Pakistan Works Hard to Ensure Success
The US side, meanwhile, is represented by Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, together with high-ranking members of the National Security Council, State Department, and Defense Department. In addition to this, the agenda encompasses the 10 points put forward by Iran as the starting point for discussions, although major discrepancies persist regarding enrichment thresholds, missile ranges, and the role of regional proxies.
According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan will make every effort to ensure that this meeting succeeds. He sees this situation as a genuine opportunity to address persistent differences through diplomacy. Even though analysts are not expecting rapid progress, all acknowledge that mere negotiations in Islamabad represent an important diplomatic breakthrough after years of tension.
