On Friday, Pakistan is hosting Iranian and American delegations for negotiations in its capital, Islamabad. As the meeting approaches, Tehran’s participation remains uncertain after an exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah threatened this week’s temporary ceasefire.
Additionally, Israel and Lebanon will hold talks in Washington next week, according to a US State Department official, as the international community grows increasingly concerned that Israel’s bombing campaign against Hezbollah militants, backed by Tehran, could shatter the fragile ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran two weeks ago.
Islamabad has continued preparations for the high-stakes negotiations, which official sources say will cover sensitive issues such as Tehran’s nuclear enrichment and the free flow of goods through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
However, security in Islamabad has been heightened and the luxury hotel hosting the delegations was cleared of its usual wealthy clients. Iran stated that its participation could depend on Israel ceasing attacks on Lebanon.
“The holding of talks to end the war depends on the US honoring their ceasefire commitments on all fronts, especially in Lebanon,” said Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“If the travel plan is finalized, the composition of the delegation will also be announced,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has expressed support for the ceasefire, as reported by the public television channel.
“We would like to inform you that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have not launched any attacks on any country during the ceasefire hours up to now,” stated the IRGC.
On Wednesday, Israel’s most violent strikes on Lebanon since Hezbollah entered the war in early March killed hundreds, shaking the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, less than 48 hours after it came into effect.
Pakistan has urged Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire, and Washington has pushed for Beirut to participate in parallel talks.
“We can confirm that the department will hold a meeting next week to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon,” stated a US State Department official.
Neither Israel nor the Lebanese government have publicly confirmed these discussions, although the announcement was made shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his ministers to seek direct dialogue with Lebanon focused on disarming Hezbollah.
A Lebanese government official told AFP that Beirut would demand a ceasefire before entering any negotiations with Israel.
Hezbollah announced it had carried out drone and rocket strikes on Israeli forces on both sides of the border, as well as on a northern Israeli town on Friday.
Fragile Agreements
In Pakistan, many roads in the capital were closed on Friday for a two-day holiday, turning the city into a ghost town as it prepared for the arrival of delegations.
The two-week ceasefire was decided to allow negotiations between US and Iranian officials to end a conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives and plunged the global economy into turmoil.
Iranian officials stated that Israeli strikes had rendered the talks in Pakistan “meaningless” and that Lebanon was an “indispensable element of the ceasefire.”
Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan deleted a social media post on Thursday indicating that an Iranian delegation would arrive later in the day.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the American delegation on Saturday, joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
New fractures in the mediation process emerged when Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif criticized Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Thursday evening in a post that was later deleted on Friday.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s office called these remarks scandalous, stating: “This is not a statement that can be made with a clear conscience. It is not a statement that can be tolerated from a government, especially not from a government claiming to be a neutral arbiter for peace.”
Pakistan does not officially recognize Israel, which could complicate its role as a mediator, and has insisted that the ceasefire include Lebanon, a point that Israel disputes.
“Iran is doing a very bad job”
If talks continue, the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil, as well as significant quantities of natural gas and fertilizers, pass in peacetime, remains a major point of contention.
Trump accused Iran of doing a “very bad job” by allowing oil to pass through the strait and violating the ceasefire terms.
In a series of social media posts that reignited fears about the fragile ceasefire, he also warned Tehran against imposing a toll on ships using this crucial waterway.
“Iran is doing a very bad job, some would say dishonorable, allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump stated on Truth Social. “This is not the agreement we made!”
MarineTraffic data showed that the MSG, flying the Gabonese flag, passed through the strait on Thursday, the first non-Iranian oil tanker to do so since the ceasefire was announced.
