US and Iran Engage in Direct Talks to End Six-Week War

Discussions between US and Iranian delegations have commenced in Islamabad, Pakistan, in an effort to bring an end to the six-week war between the two nations. The talks began on Saturday afternoon, following separate bilateral meetings between each side and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, includes special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Iran's delegation of over 70 people is headed by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

According to Al Jazeera's Abid Hussain, the talks were initially intended to be indirect, but have evolved into direct negotiations with Pakistani mediators present. Prior to the talks, Vance and Ghalibaf met with Prime Minister Sharif, who expressed hope that the negotiations would pave the way for lasting peace in the region.

Key Issues on the Table

The negotiations are taking place despite earlier assertions from Tehran that they would not occur without commitments on Lebanon's inclusion in the ceasefire and the lifting of US sanctions. Ghalibaf had stated that Washington had previously agreed to unblock Iranian assets and implement a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israeli attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters have resulted in nearly 2,000 deaths since March.

However, Israel and the US have maintained that the Lebanon campaign is not part of the Iran-US ceasefire, while Tehran and Pakistan argue that it is. Sources close to the mediation process indicate that progress has been made on basic conditions, including the need for a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that there may be movement on the unfreezing of Iranian assets.

Ghalibaf has stated that Iran is prepared to reach a deal if the US offers a genuine agreement and grants Iran its rights. However, he also noted that Iran's experience in negotiating with the Americans has been marked by failure and broken promises.

The White House has not commented on the Iranian demands, but President Trump posted on social media that the only reason the Iranians are alive is to negotiate a deal. Trump also announced a two-week ceasefire in the war, which has halted US and Israeli air strikes on Iran, but has not ended Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz or calmed the parallel war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.