The United States will send a negotiating team to Pakistan for talks with Iran, led by Vice President JD Vance. The delegation is expected to include US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said Vance has played a significant role in the Iran issue from the outset. She added that the first round of talks is due to take place on Saturday.
The Iranian delegation is expected to be led by parliament speaker and former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Several members of Iran’s political leadership have been killed in the war.
Attacks in Lebanon
Confirmation of the talks follows renewed fears of escalation in the region after initial relief from the US–Iran ceasefire. Israel has launched its largest attacks on Lebanon since the fighting began, while Iran has struck oil installations in Gulf states.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire does not apply to Hezbollah and that Israel will continue its attacks. He stressed that the country had achieved some of its goals in the war with Iran, but others remained, adding that it was ready to resume combat operations ‘at any time’.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted a source as saying Tehran would withdraw from the ceasefire if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue. The Lebanese Civil Defence said Israeli strikes killed 254 people on Wednesday alone, 91 of them in Beirut.
Violation of key points
The speaker of the Iranian parliament said on Wednesday that three key points of Iran’s 10-point proposal had reportedly been violated before the start of negotiations in Pakistan. He added that under such circumstances, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations are ‘inadequate’.
According to his statement, the alleged violations include the ceasefire in Lebanon, Iranian airspace breached by an ‘incoming drone’ and the denial of Iran’s right to enrich uranium.
Washington’s priority, according to the White House, remains the unrestricted reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers. The waterway is one of the key flashpoints in the region.
Despite the tensions, financial markets reacted positively. The price of Brent crude fell by around 14 per cent to about $95 a barrel, while US stocks strengthened to near one-month highs.
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