US-Iran talks in Islamabad likely to proceed via indirect channels: Reports

The process is expected to follow a facilitated format aimed at "keeping dialogue alive", with mediators shuttling between delegations, rather than seeking an immediate breakthrough

Talks between the United States (US) and Iran are set to begin in Islamabad on Saturday, with negotiations expected to take place through mediated, indirect channels rather than direct engagement. Both sides remain sharply divided on key issues, including sanctions relief, nuclear enrichment, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the inclusion of Lebanon as part of the proposed ceasefire.

How will US-Iran talks in Islamabad be conducted?

The process is likely to follow a facilitated format aimed at “keeping dialogue alive”, rather than delivering an immediate breakthrough, with mediators shuttling between delegations and managing exchanges, Al-Jazeera reported.

 

The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Islamabad Saturday ahead of the high-stakes discussions. Iran’s delegation, headed by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, senior defence official Ali Akbar Ahmadian, central bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati and other officials.

 

 

Ahead of the talks, the Iranian delegation met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a brief shared by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

What are the key issues in US-Iran negotiations?

The US has called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route that has remained severely disrupted since the conflict began on February 28. Tehran has proposed levying transit fees on vessels passing through the waterway, a move opposed by Washington, while Donald Trump has floated a possible “joint venture” to determine tolls.

 

On the nuclear issue, Iran has maintained that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons but wants its right to enrich uranium to be acknowledged. The US has rejected this demand, with Trump asserting that “there will be no enrichment of uranium”. Iran’s nuclear programme has remained a central point of contention for decades, prompting multiple rounds of US sanctions.

Why is Lebanon part of the ceasefire discussions?

Tehran has also pushed for a broader ceasefire framework to include Lebanon, where Israeli military operations have intensified. According to Lebanese authorities, more than 2,000 people have been killed since fighting escalated on March 2, while Israel has maintained that its operations against Hezbollah fall outside any ceasefire arrangement and will continue.

 

Iran has further demanded sanctions relief and assurances that the US will not carry out future military strikes, seeking a more durable end to hostilities beyond the current two-week ceasefire.

 

Qalibaf said on Friday that two previously agreed steps, a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets, “must be fulfilled before negotiations begin”, a position rejected by both the US and Israel.

 

The talks come amid heightened tensions, with Trump warning of fresh military action if negotiations fail. He said the US was preparing its warships with the “best weapons” and added, “And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively.”

 

Separately, Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to meet in Washington on Tuesday for US-mediated discussions on a ceasefire and a roadmap for further negotiations.

 

Lebanon’s health ministry said 357 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday, taking the total death toll since March 2 to more than 1,953, with 6,303 others injured.