Vance in Pakistan for Iran Talks; Tehran Sets Pre-Conditions for Negotiations
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – US Vice President JD Vance on Friday arrived in Pakistan for negotiations to end the war. Iran came up with two new conditions implementation of ceasefire in Lebanon and release of frozen Iranian assets.
Iran has said that implementation of ceasefire in Lebanon and release of frozen Iranian assets the mutually agreed ceasefire conditions and that they must be fulfilled before the start of negotiations.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in a social media post on X said that these were the mutually agreed ceasefire conditions, added that negotiations with the United States to end the war will not begin until they are fulfilled.
“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,” Ghalibaf said.
“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.”
The remarks came shortly after Vance departed for Islamabad to take part in the peace negotiations.
Vance told reporters in his departure statement that Washington is willing to extend “an open hand” if the Iranians are ready to negotiate in good faith.
He warned Tehran against any attempt to “play” the United States.
“We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive. As the President of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” Vance said.
He added that US President Donald Trump has given clear instructions and that Washington will try to have a positive negotiating process with the Iranians.
The US and Iran are set to hold negotiations to end the war in Islamabad.
Both have announced a two-week ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance after over a month of intense fighting.
Israel has refused to stop attacking Lebanon despite the ceasefire.
Israel said that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire agreement, a claim the US has also reiterated.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the ceasefire he had specifically mentioned that it will apply to “everywhere including Lebanon.”
