JD Vance and Iranian Officials Meet in Islamabad for Historic Ceasefire Negotiations

United States Vice President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for the highest-level direct talks between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, as both delegations gathered at the Serena Hotel in Pakistan's capital to consolidate a fragile ceasefire and chart a path toward lasting peace. The American delegation, which landed at Nur Khan Air Base aboard two US Air Force planes, includes special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a senior advisor and son-in-law of President Donald Trump. The Iranian delegation, comprising 71 people including officials, diplomats, security personnel, and journalists, arrived earlier and is led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, personally greeted both delegations on the tarmac, escorting Vance down a red carpet and earlier embracing the Iranian team upon their arrival. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government brokered the ceasefire that brought both sides to the table, described the moment as a "make or break" juncture in efforts to end weeks of fighting that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Talks proceed through Pakistani go-betweens, no face-to-face The format of the negotiations reflects the depth of mistrust between the two sides: the delegations remain in separate rooms within the Serena Hotel complex, with Pakistani mediators shuttling between them to convey proposals, responses, and conditions. Iranian state media confirmed that the Tehran delegation met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif around noon local time to determine the timing and manner of what it called "possible negotiations." Ghalibaf set out Iran's preconditions upon landing, stating on the social platform X that discussions would only proceed if Israel declared a ceasefire in Lebanon and if blocked Iranian assets were released. The Irish Independent reported that these are among the highest-level US-Iran talks since the Islamic Revolution, and that if the two sides were to hold face-to-face negotiations, it would be the first direct contact since 2015, when they reached a deal on Iran's nuclear program. Iran's position also includes compensation for war damages, the total lifting of sanctions, and the preservation of its nuclear program, though Tehran has pledged not to develop nuclear weapons, according to El Mundo. Regional sources told Al Jazeera that advance teams had already completed preliminary work and that there was an expectation an agreement might possibly be signed.

„Our experience in negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises.” — Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf via France 24

„If they're going to try and play us, then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.” — JD Vance via The Irish Times

Iranian delegation carries photos of children killed in US airstrike One of the most striking images of the day came from Iranian media: on the plane carrying the Tehran delegation to Islamabad, rows of seats had been left empty and filled with photographs of children killed when an American airstrike destroyed the Minab elementary school, with backpacks still bearing traces of blood placed alongside the images as a symbolic protest. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to his German counterpart by telephone on Saturday, said that „Iran enters negotiations with complete distrust due to repeated breaches of commitments and betrayals by the United States.” — Abbas Araghchi via France 24 Ghalibaf echoed the sentiment in person, stating that on two occasions Iran had been attacked while engaged in dialogue processes. „In less than a year and in the middle of negotiations, despite the goodwill of the Iranian side, we were attacked and multiple war crimes were committed.” — Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf via eldiario.es Despite the charged atmosphere, Ghalibaf offered a qualified opening, summarizing Iran's posture in a phrase that became the defining statement of the day's opening hours.

„We have goodwill, but not trust.” — Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf via El Mundo

The war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in what was designated Operation Epic Fury. Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader at the time, was killed in those initial strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The last time the United States and Iran reached a direct diplomatic agreement was in 2015, when they concluded a deal on Iran's nuclear program. That agreement was scrapped by President Donald Trump in 2018 during his first term, and Ali Khamenei subsequently banned further direct talks between US and Iranian officials.

Lebanon fighting and Hormuz closure cast shadow over talks The ceasefire is already under severe strain from Israel's continued military campaign in Lebanon, where Hezbollah and Israeli forces have continued to exchange fire along the southern border. On the day the truce was announced, Israel struck Beirut with airstrikes that killed more than 300 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry — the deadliest single day in Lebanon since the war began. On Friday, Israeli warplanes struck near a state security office in the southern town of Nabatieh, killing 13 officers according to the Lebanese president's office, while Israeli forces said they hit approximately 10 rocket launchers that had fired toward northern Israel. Lebanon's National News Agency reported at least three more people killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon early Saturday, when an airstrike destroyed a residential building in the town of Maifadoun in the Nabatiyeh province. Israel and the United States maintain that the Lebanon campaign falls outside the scope of the US-Iran ceasefire, a position that Iran and Pakistan reject. Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon were expected to begin on Tuesday in Washington, according to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's office. Meanwhile, Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent oil prices sharply higher, with the spot price of Brent crude standing at approximately 97 dollars on Friday — a rise of more than 30 percent since the war started — while shipping traffic through the strait has fallen from more than 100 vessels per day before the conflict to just 12 recorded passages under the ceasefire.

97 (USD per barrel) — Brent crude price Friday, up over 30% since war began

2026-02-27: 74, 2026-04-11: 97