Over 15 hours: Senior Iranian and American officials held marathon negotiations that are set to continue on Sunday in Islamabad, seeking an agreement on a sustainable ceasefire in a war that shakes the global economy.
These talks, at an unprecedented level between the two enemy countries since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, are being held in trilateral format according to the White House, with the presence of Pakistani officials who facilitated a two-week ceasefire that took effect on Wednesday.
The first day of negotiations on Saturday lasted nearly 15 hours, extending well past midnight, as reported by the White House and Iranian media. The discussions are taking place at a major hotel in the Pakistani capital away from a cohort of foreign journalists covering the event.
Both sides were set to take a several-hour break before dawn.
“We are engaged in advanced negotiations with Iran. We are winning anyway, we have defeated them militarily,” President Donald Trump stated on Saturday, adding that “it doesn’t matter to him” whether an agreement is reached or not.
On the American side, the delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump. Iran is represented by its influential Parliament President, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, leading a delegation of 70 people.
– “Sweeping” the Strait –
A Pakistani official assured that “the talks are progressing in the right direction.” “The overall atmosphere is cordial,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
However, no images of the discussions have been released.
One of the main topics of discussion is the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for oil supply that has been effectively blocked since the start of the conflict, leading to cascading effects on the global economy, including shortages and price hikes.
Iranian media reported that the American side had made “excessive” demands on this issue during the discussions.
On Saturday, the US military announced that two of its destroyers had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a demining operation. “We are sweeping the strait,” emphasized Donald Trump.
The Revolutionary Guards of Iran, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, warned on Sunday that they would act with “severity” against military ships transiting through the strait.
– Numerous Disputes –
Triggered on February 28 by an Israeli-American offensive against Iran, the war has resulted in thousands of deaths, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.
There are still major differences between the two belligerents on key issues, including Hormuz, sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and Lebanon where Israel is at war with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah.
Among the “progress” discussed on Saturday, Iranian agencies Fars and Tasnim mentioned “the US acceptance of releasing Iranian assets and the need for more in-depth technical and expert discussions on this topic.” However, a senior American official had previously denied that Washington agreed to unblock these assets.
The meeting is closely followed by other actors contributing to diplomatic efforts: Egypt, Turkey, and China, with whom Pakistan is coordinating.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan highlighted that the upcoming stage would be “difficult” to “achieve a sustainable ceasefire.” “This stage is what is called ‘make or break’ in English,” he added.
In Iran, where an internet outage was imposed by the authorities, residents expressed doubts to AFP. “We should not take Trump seriously. He wants to erase a civilization from the map and, twelve hours later, implements a ceasefire with no basis,” summarized a 30-year-old resident.
– Over 2,000 Dead in Lebanon –
After the ceasefire took effect, Israel claimed that Lebanon, where it is fighting Hezbollah, was not included in the agreement.
On Saturday, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a total of 18 people, according to the Ministry of Health, while the Israeli army reported hitting over 200 Hezbollah targets in the past 24 hours.
On Wednesday, Israel conducted the deadliest strikes of the war in Lebanon, with at least 357 deaths in a single day, according to the latest count. Lebanese authorities said on Saturday they had recorded 2,020 deaths and 6,436 injuries since March 2.
According to the Lebanese presidency, talks are scheduled for Tuesday between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, rejected by Hezbollah.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday night that he wants a peace agreement “that will hold for generations.”
He also stated that his country had “foiled” Iranian nuclear and ballistic programs, and that Iran and its allies are “fighting for their survival.”
