Vance and Iranian officials arrive in Islamabad for high-stakes talks (PHOTOS/VIDEOS)

High-level Iranian and US delegations have arrived in Islamabad for what the Pakistani prime minister has called a “make-or-break moment” in efforts to turn a fragile ceasefire into a broader agreement.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is leading the Iranian side; US Vice President J.D. Vance heads the American team.

Iran has arrived with a message of deep mistrust. Ghalibaf said Tehran has goodwill despite the US attacking Iran “twice within less than a year” in the middle of negotiations.

Vance struck a similar tone, saying earlier that he expects productive talks while warning Iran not to “play” the US.

US President Donald Trump has projected confidence and threat in equal measure, saying the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened “with or without” Iran’s cooperation, as he reportedly prepares military options in case the talks collapse.

“We don’t need a back-up plan… we’ve hit them hard, our military is amazing,” Trump told journalists after wishing Vance good luck.

Key developments:

• Trump has summed up what a good deal with Iran looks like, saying: “No nuclear weapon. That’s 99% of it,” while adding that the Strait of Hormuz “will open automatically.”

• Iran’s team reflects how broadly Tehran is framing the negotiations, reaching far beyond a narrow nuclear discussion. Alongside Ghalibaf are Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is heading the political track; Abdolnaser Hemmati, leading the economic side; Ali Akbar Ahmadian, overseeing the military file; and Esmaeil Baqaei, handling legal matters.

• The US side appears narrower, with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also expected in Islamabad, although public reporting has offered few confirmed details about the delegation’s composition.

• The Iranian delegation is due to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday morning. Indirect negotiations would reportedly begin later in the day if Israeli attacks on Lebanon stop.

• Israeli strikes have reportedly killed at least 1,953 people in Lebanon since 2 March, including more than 300 killed in Wednesday’s bombardment after the fragile ceasefire was announced.

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.

• 11 April 2026

  10:23 GMT

  Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president, has suggested that it is entirely possible to strike a mutually beneficial deal with the US if it negotiates with representatives of ‘America First’.
  

  “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,” he warned.

• 09:58 GMT

  Fars has released a photo of the Iranian negotiating team working in Islamabad.

• 09:44 GMT

  The US has agreed to release Iranian frozen assets in Qatar and other foreign banks, Reuters has reported, citing a senior Iranian source, who welcomed ⁠the move as a sign of serious intention to reach a deal.

  The source added that the step was “directly linked to ensuring safe ⁠passage through Strait of Hormuz,” which is to be discussed in the talks.

  Iran’s $6 billion – which were frozen in South Korea in 2019 – was transferred to Qatar in September 2023 as part of a US-Iran prisoner swap for humanitarian use. However, following the Hamas October 7 attacks, Washington and Doha reportedly reached a “quiet understanding” to re-freeze the funds, keeping the assets locked in Qatari banks under US Treasury oversight.

  You can READ MORE on the back-and forth around the Iranian assets here and here.

• 09:24 GMT

  New Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still reeling from “disfiguring” facial injuries, as well as a leg wound he suffered in US-Israeli strikes, Reuters reported, citing sources close to the cleric.

  Khamenei, however, reportedly remains “mentally sharp” and is playing a role in the decision-making via audio conference on such key issues as diplomacy with Washington.

• 09:06 GMT

  The Iranian delegation is now holding talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and after the meeting will decide on whether to negotiate with the US later in the day, according to Fars news agency.

• 08:54 GMT

  US Vice President J.D. Vance has arrived at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad for talks with Pakistani and Iranian officials, according to the New York Times.

• 08:53 GMT

  International journalists have gathered in a press center organized by the Pakistani authorities.

• 08:40 GMT

  Some seats in the Iranian delegation’s plane were symbolically occupied by children who perished in the suspected US strike on a school in Minab, according to a video released by the Iranian Embassy in South Africa.

• 08:27 GMT

  Former US National Security Adviser and Iran hawk John Bolton has suggested that Tehran “senses weakness” from the Trump administration and will push it for concessions.

  He also criticized the White House for the makeup of the delegation, saying he would have put Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the helm.
  

  “I think it’s a big mistake to send out the vice president to meet some unknown Iranian, maybe the speaker of their parliament. Vance is, by definition, the next thing below the president, and the stakes are made much higher by his presence,” he said.

  Bolton also expressed discontent over reports that the delegation’s composition is to some extent formed based on Iranian officials’ preferences. “You don’t let your adversary pick who your negotiating team is… This is sort of basic.”

• 08:04 GMT

  The US and Iranian delegations are expected to hold preliminary meetings with senior Pakistani officials, Al Hadath reports, adding that if the overall dialogue yields positive results, it could continue until Sunday or Monday.

  The outlet said the talks will begin after 5 PM local time (12 PM GMT), and that the negotiations between the American and Iranian delegations could be held in three locations which are not hotels.

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