US-Iran Direct Talks Begin in Pakistan After 45 Years

High-level negotiations between the United States and Iran commenced Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan, marking the first direct talks between the two nations since the founding of Iran's Islamic Republic in 1979. Mediated by Pakistan, the discussions aim to build on a fragile two-week ceasefire agreed upon earlier in the week, amid ongoing regional tensions that have disrupted global oil supplies and caused widespread destruction since the war erupted on March 2.

The U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in the Pakistani capital after a refueling stop in Paris. Iranian sources confirmed the talks involve around 70 participants from Tehran, headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani. Both teams met separately with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prior to the sessions. Sharif described the process as a "make-or-break" stage in a televised address, emphasizing the need to resolve complex issues for a lasting peace.

The agenda centers on Iran's nuclear program, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the scope of the...