High-stakes negotiations begin in Pakistan as Iran warns against ‘Israel First’ approach

Iran and the United States have opened negotiations in Islamabad, with discussions centred on a Lebanon ceasefire, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and security in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials insist that Washington must hold Israel accountable for ceasefire violations, while warning that prioritising Israeli interests could derail talks.

Islamabad: Iranian media confirmed Saturday evening, Pakistan time, that the negotiations between Iran and the US side have begun in Islamabad. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon, release of the Iranian assets by the American side – and the “need for more detailed expert and technical discussions” in this regard – are key parts of the negotiations besides discussions on the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran believes that the ceasefire in Lebanon has not yet been fully implemented and that the United States has a duty to hold Israel to this commitment. The Iranian delegation is pursuing this issue seriously through the Pakistani mediator and also in the discussion room,” the news agency reported.

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Meanwhile, Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref warned Saturday that there would be no deal if the United States prioritises Israel’s interests in the negotiations in Pakistan.

“If we face representatives of ‘Israel First,’ there will be no deal; we will inevitably continue our defence even more vigorously than before, and the world will face greater costs,” he wrote in a post on social media platform X, adding that “an agreement beneficial to both sides and the world is probable” if otherwise.

The remarks came as an Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and a US delegation led by Vice President J D Vance arrived in Pakistan’s Islamabad for talks to end the hostilities in the Middle East.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targetting Israel and US interests in the Middle East, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz.

A two-week ceasefire reached between Iran and the United States took effect on Wednesday. Yet Israel has said the ceasefire does not cover the conflict in Lebanon, and carried out its largest single-day attack on Lebanon on Wednesday, killing more than 300 and injured over 1,100, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Friday, Qalibaf demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations with the United States.

Earlier on Saturday, Tasnim news agency reported that Washington had agreed to unfreeze the Iranian assets, and that the Iranian delegation in Pakistan was seeking to make sure about the issue. However, several media reports, citing an unnamed US senior official, denied the report.