US Vice President JD Vance landed in Islamabad Saturday morning to lead American negotiations with Iran aimed at permanently ending the Middle East conflict that erupted in late February. The talks represent the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir greeted Vance at Nur Khan Air Base alongside Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. The American delegation includes Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, while Iran's team is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.
JD Vance, US Vice President — NPR
The negotiations occur during a fragile two-week ceasefire that Pakistan brokered after weeks of escalating conflict. The war began February 28 when US and Israeli forces launched joint airstrikes across Iran, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israeli targets and disrupting global oil markets through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Major obstacles remain before talks can begin in earnest. Iran has conditioned its participation on a complete halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates as Tehran's key regional ally. The Islamic Republic also demands the unfreezing of its overseas assets and maintains it cannot fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz because it has lost track of mines it laid in the waterway during the conflict.
Al Jazeera frames this as historic diplomatic engagement while emphasizing the regional stakes and Pakistan's mediating role. Their coverage highlights the complexity of Middle Eastern dynamics without taking sides, reflecting Qatar's position as a regional diplomatic hub that maintains relations with both Iran and the US.