In Islamabad, Americans and Iranians complete a 15

During the talks, one key focus has been the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passageway for the supply of hydrocarbons that has effectively been blocked since the beginning of the conflict.

High-ranking Iranian and American officials held marathon negotiations on Saturday, set to continue on Sunday in Islamabad, in search of an agreement for a lasting ceasefire to ease a war that is shaking the global economy.

These discussions, unprecedented between the two enemy countries since the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979, are being held in a trilateral format according to the White House, with the participation of Pakistani officials who facilitated the conclusion of a two-week ceasefire that came into effect on Wednesday.

According to the White House and Iranian media, the first day of negotiations on Saturday lasted nearly 15 hours, extending well past midnight. The talks are taking place in a large hotel in the Pakistani capital, away from the cohort of foreign journalists covering the event.

Both sides were scheduled to take a break of several hours before dawn. President Donald Trump assured on Saturday, “We are in advanced negotiations with Iran. We are winning anyway. We have defeated them militarily,” before adding that it did not 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 Commissioner Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump. Iran is represented by influential Parliament President Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, heading a massive delegation of 70 people.

A senior Pakistani official stated that “the talks are progressing in the right direction,” however, no images of the discussions have been released. The focus of the talks remains on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for the supply of hydrocarbons, which has been effectively blocked since the beginning of the conflict.

Iranian media reported that the American side had made “excessive” demands regarding this issue during the discussions. The American military confirmed on Saturday that two of its destroyers had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a pre-clearance operation. “We’re sweeping the Strait,” emphasized Donald Trump.

The Revolutionary Guard of Iran, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, warned on Sunday that they would take severe action against military vessels transiting through the strait.