U.S. and Iran open Pakistan talks after ceasefire halts bombing for two weeks

The broadcaster said the Iranian delegation had already arrived, led by the speaker of parliament and the foreign minister. Sources also told Sky News that a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance had flown into Pakistan.

Before the talks, Iran set two main conditions: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iranian assets that Tehran says were part of earlier agreements.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the talks a “decisive stage” in which difficult issues must be resolved through agreement.

Trump earlier said the main priority of any potential deal with Iran was limiting its nuclear program, not the Strait of Hormuz. He also said he believed the waterway would reopen “automatically” and fairly quickly, regardless of Tehran’s actions, and said Tehran had “no cards” going into the talks.

On April 8, Donald Trump said he had agreed to pause the bombing of Iran for two weeks on the condition that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened immediately. He said the United States had already “achieved and exceeded all military goals” and had “made significant progress” toward a final peace agreement.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council later confirmed a two-week ceasefire agreement with the United States. Israel also agreed to pause its bombing campaign during the talks.