Iranian delegation holds meeting with Pakistan PM in Islamabad

The meeting between the Iranian delegation and Sharif started at 1.30 pm local time (0830GMT), according to the IRIB correspondent in the Pakistani capital.

During the talks, Iran was also expected to discuss its 10-point proposal, which it says forms the framework and basis of the ongoing negotiations to end the war that started on Feb. 28 permanently.

The Iranian negotiating team also met Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, ahead of talks with the prime minister.

The delegation had earlier met Munir late on Friday, with officials indicating that a new exchange of messages was possible.

The team members also interacted with Pakistan’s Parliament Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Diverging signals on negotiations

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said through US social media company X that the outcome of the talks would depend on the nature of the US representation.

“If we negotiate in Islamabad with representatives of ‘America First,’ an agreement beneficial to both sides and the world is probable,” he said.

“However, if we face representatives of ‘Israel First,’ there will be no deal; we will inevitably continue our defense even more vigorously than before, and the world will face greater costs.”

Iranian Parliament Speaker Bagher Qalibaf and his team, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and deputy to the National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani, arrived in Islamabad earlier on Saturday.

The US delegation, meanwhile, is led by Vice President JD Vance and includes special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Pakistan is hosting the landmark negotiations, dubbed the “Islamabad Talks,” seen as the most significant since 1979, aimed at ending the broader regional conflict amid a fragile two-week ceasefire brokered earlier this week.