Peace talks between Iran and the United States began in Islamabad on Saturday afternoon, bringing senior negotiators from both countries into direct contact at the highest level for the first time since 1979.
The meeting took place with mediators from Pakistan present, as Islamabad sought to play a central role in efforts to broker a peace deal. Pakistani state television reported that US and Iranian officials were “sitting directly at the same table,” a claim later confirmed by the White House.
According to the reports, the talks opened in a positive atmosphere. The American delegation was led by JD Vance, while Iran’s team was headed by the country’s parliamentary speaker.
The discussions began even as fighting continued in Lebanon, adding urgency to the diplomatic effort. The Islamabad meeting marks a significant moment in relations between Washington and Tehran, given the lack of direct high-level talks between the two sides since the Iranian revolution in 1979.
Further details of the negotiations were not immediately available, but the fact that both delegations met face to face under Pakistani mediation was seen as an important development in the broader search for a settlement.
