Vance, Pakistan PM hold bilateral meeting as US, Iran negotiators prepare for ceasefire talks
Vice President JD Vance landed in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday ahead of planned negotiations with Iran. He was joined by U.S special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
US has not agreed to release frozen Iranian assets, talks have not yet begun: senior US official
The U.S. has not agreed to release frozen Iranian assets, a senior U.S. official said Saturday, noting that negotiations between U.S. and Iranian teams in Pakistan had not yet begun.
Citing a senior Iranian source, Reuters reported on Friday that the U.S. had agreed to release Iran’s frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks.
“False. The meetings have not even started yet,” the senior U.S. official said Saturday, refuting Reuters’ report.
Vice President JD Vance, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday for planned talks with Iranian negotiators as a fragile ceasefire holds.
Iranian parliament speaker and negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Friday that talks with the U.S. would not begin until Iranian assets were unfrozen and Lebanon also sees a ceasefire. Israel has continued strikes against Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon this week, arguing the ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran did not apply there.
Kuwait National Guard members injured in Iranian drone attacks
A Kuwait ministry of defense spokesperson said Friday that some of its National Guard members were wounded from Iranian drone attacks.
“The Armed Forces monitored and dealt with 7 hostile drones within Kuwaiti airspace during the past 24 hours, and they were handled in accordance with established procedures,” Ministry of Defense Brig. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said.
“The Iranian aggression resulted in targeting several vital facilities affiliated with the National Guard, leading to injuries among some of its members, who are currently receiving treatment with stable conditions, in addition to significant material damage,” he added.
Vance lands in Pakistan for high-stakes Iran talks as ‘fragile’ ceasefire teeters
Vice President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday, where he will lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire and preventing a broader regional war.
Vance was welcomed by a Pakistani honor guard on the tarmac in Islamabad.
The group welcoming the vice president included Field Marshal of Pakistan Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
Federal Minister of Interior, Narcotics Control of Pakistan Mohsin Naqvi and U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Pakistan Natalie A. Baker also greeted Vance.
Vance is joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will be negotiating for Iran.
The talks, scheduled for Saturday, come over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28 — a sweeping military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear negotiations.
That operation pushed the U.S. and Iran to the brink of a ground war before a tenuous diplomatic breakthrough in recent days.
Trump announced a two-week ceasefire Tuesday, agreeing to suspend further U.S. strikes on the condition that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.
While Iran signaled it would allow passage through the strait as part of the agreement, traffic remains severely disrupted, with shipping companies hesitant to resume normal operations amid ongoing security concerns and uncertainty over enforcement.
Vance struck a cautious tone before departing, warning Iran not to test the U.S. negotiating posture.
"If they’re gonna try and play us, then they’re gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive," Vance said, adding he still expects the talks to be "positive."
Vance meets with Pakistan’s prime minister ahead of Iran negotiations
Vice President JD Vance held a bilateral meeting Saturday with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad ahead of negotiations with Iran, the White House announced.
The American delegation at the meeting included U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Pakistan delegation included Sharif, Pakistan Minister for the Interior Mohsin Naqvi and Foreign Minister/Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
Sharif played a key role in brokering a U.S.-Iran ceasefire that President Donald Trump announced earlier this week.
Iran’s lead negotiator on Friday warned that talks would not begin unless Lebanon also sees a ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this week that the ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran did not include Lebanon, and Israeli forces said they launched their largest attack yet against Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists there since Operation Roaring Lion began in February.
“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump had announced on Tuesday.
Pakistan commends US peace efforts as Vance arrives for Iran talks
The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the arrival of the U.S. delegation in Islamabad on Saturday morning, reaffirming its commitment to facilitating a peace deal.
Vice President JD Vance landed in Pakistan just before 10:30 a.m. local time, where he will lead negotiations with Iran. He was joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation set to engage in talks with Iran later in the day.
Vance was welcomed by a Pakistani honor guard on the tarmac, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that it commends “the U.S. commitment to achieving lasting regional and global peace and stability.”
It added that the deputy prime minister and foreign minister hope all parties will “engage constructively.”
The foreign ministry said Pakistan will work to facilitate a “lasting and durable solution” to the conflict.
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