Talks between the United States and Iran opened in Islamabad on Saturday (11 April) as the two sides sought to turn a fragile temporary ceasefire into a lasting agreement, amid disputes over Lebanon and sanctions relief.
The two delegations are holding separate meetings with Pakistani officials in the capital to "make patch work" before direct talks between the two sides, the sources said.
"We cannot say at the moment when will the two delegations sit face-to-face. At the moment, they are holding talks with Pakistani officials," the sources added.
The high-stakes talks, dubbed the 'Islamabad Talks,' began soon after separate meetings of the Iranian and the U.S. delegations with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier in the day.
The U.S. and Iranian delegations arrived separately in Islamabad for the talks, marking a rare high-level bilateral engagement between the two sides since 1979.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is leading the American delegation, which includes special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Parliament Speaker Bagher Qalibaf is leading the Iranian delegation, which includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and deputy to the National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani, among others.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is representing Islamabad in the talks, while army chief Gen. Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi are assisting him, according to insiders.
Trump says Iran has 'no cards'
Bagher Qalibaf said on X that Washington had previously agreed to unblock Iranian assets and to a ceasefire in Lebanone said talks would not start until those pledges were fulfilled.
Israel and the U.S. have said the Lebanon campaign is not part of the Iran-U.S. ceasefire while Tehran insists it is.
Qalibaf said separately that Iran was ready to reach a deal if Washington offered what he described as a genuine agreement and granted Iran its rights, Iranian state media reported.
The White House did not immediately comment on the Iranian demands, but Trump posted on social media that the only reason the Iranians were alive was to negotiate a deal.
"The Iranians don't seem to realise they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!" he said.
Vance, speaking as he headed to Pakistan, said he expected a positive outcome but added: "If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive."
Preliminary discussions have been separately held by Pakistani officials with advance teams from both sides, sources in Islamabad said.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 16th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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