Islamabad is the heart of global diplomacy as negotiators began the highest-level talks in 50 years on Saturday. The aim is to end a six-week war, which has rocked domestic and international markets. This is the first direct meeting between the two sides in more than a decade and the most important contact since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
The thriller in the Straits of Hormuz
While the discussions are ongoing and expected to last overnight, the US president announced via social media that the US military is beginning the process.
“We are doing it as a favor to all the countries of the world,” said Donald Trump.
Despite US reports of warships passing through, Tehran denies the incident, describing the status of the Straits, through which 20% of the world’s energy supplies pass, as the main point of “serious disagreement”.
Who sat at the table: The background of the two hours
The US delegation, consisting of Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, met for two hours with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
The Iranian side appeared dressed in black, in mourning for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while carrying personal belongings of students killed in recent bombings, adding an emotional charge to the atmosphere. “There were mood swings and the ‘temperature’ was going up and down dangerously,” said a source from the Pakistani ombudsman.
The “red lines” and trade-offs
The two sides come with diametrically opposed demands:
- Iran demands: Release of frozen funds in Qatar and foreign banks, control of the Straits of Hormuz, war reparations and a regional ceasefire (including Lebanon).
- The US seeks: Free navigation and a permanent “freeze” of Tehran’s nuclear program.
“We will negotiate with the finger on the trigger,” warned Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani, underscoring the utter lack of trust.
Bloodshed in Lebanon and the intervention of the Pope
While diplomacy struggles to find a solution, conflicts continue. More than 90 people were killed in Lebanon by Israeli strikes on Saturday, bringing the total death toll to 2,020.
For his part, Pope Leo made a dramatic appeal to leaders to stop the “madness of war”.
With information from Reuters, Tasnim and Nournews
