US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad seek to extend ceasefire amid high-stakes diplomacy

Senior US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad are set to probe whether long distrust can ease. A fragile two-week ceasefire is holding, while fighting continues in Lebanon. Any image of US Vice-President JD Vance beside Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf would mark the highest direct contact since 1979.

Pakistan is hosting the meeting as Israel carries out major strikes in Lebanon. Officials say the aim is to extend the ceasefire and lower risks near the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiators are also weighing a broader arrangement, even though hopes for a fast "peace deal" are extremely low.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calls the Islamabad effort a "make or break" moment. In a televised address, Sharif says US and Iranian delegations begin talks on Saturday. Sharif describes the summit as a source of pride for Pakistan and for the "Muslim world".

For several weeks, Pakistan serves as a channel between Tehran and Washington. The approach draws on long ties with Iran and a working relationship with the US. US President Donald Trump says Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir "knows Iran better than most". Keir Starmer later praises Pakistan's "critical role".

Starmer backs Islamabad’s diplomatic push linked to the two-week ceasefire. A message Sharif posts on X says: "Both leaders emphasised the importance of ensuring that the ceasefire remains in place and creates the necessary conditions for lasting peace and stability in the region,". The message also says the leaders will cooperate across "all spheres of mutual interest".

Worries around the Strait of Hormuz sit close to the centre of these talks. Western officials fear new Iranian tolls or inspections could shake energy markets. The UK plans a meeting of officials from 41 countries next week. It follows an earlier roundtable chaired by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

A UK government source says: "We are pushing very hard for a mechanism to reopen the strait,". The source adds that Britain’s network could help align joint action. Downing Street later says Starmer supports work to fully reopen the waterway. The UK also backs diplomacy aimed at a longer-term settlement.

Trump says the Strait of Hormuz will reopen "with or without" Iranian cooperation. Trump also says: "We will have that open fairly soon,". Asked about possible tolls, Trump replies: "we're not going to let that happen". These comments come as shipping risks remain a key financial concern for Gulf states.

US-Iran peace talks: delegations, travel security, and optics

Iranian state media report the Iranian team has already landed in Islamabad. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf leads the delegation. Abbas Araghchi, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Abdolnaser Hemmati, and several MPs are also present. The group travels on two Iranian government aircraft tracked as IRAN04 and IRAN05.

Flightradar24 data show IRAN04 leaves Gorgan around 17:00 GMT. It does not depart from Tehran's Mehrabad airport, which has been hit during the war. Both aircraft cross Afghan airspace before reaching an airfield near the capital. The routing highlights security concerns around Iranian government flights.

JD Vance is travelling to Islamabad to lead the US side. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also part of the team. Air Force Two leaves the US about eight hours before a fuel stop in Paris. The White House press pool calls the overseas leg "uneventful".

Trump speaks before boarding a separate flight to Charlottesville, Virginia. Asked what message Trump gives Vance, Trump replies: "I wished him luck". Trump says it is unclear if talks stay limited to the weekend. On contingencies, Trump answers that "you don't need a back-up plan".

Pressed on what success means, Trump responds: "No nuclear weapon,". Trump repeats that stopping a bomb is the main objective. Trump also suggests regime change has already happened. These comments set a firm public line as negotiators arrive in Pakistan.

US-Iran peace talks: proposals, nuclear demands, and sanctions

Trump says the US receives a 10-point proposal from Iran. Trump describes it as "a workable basis on which to negotiate". Araghchi separately mentions a 15-point proposal. Trump's senior negotiators believe it could end the conflict. Neither document is officially released, though reported drafts leak.

Assessments suggest the two sets of ideas remain far apart. Iran’s delegation leader sets conditions including a Lebanon ceasefire. Iran also wants billions of dollars in Iranian assets unfrozen. The overlap of disputes is wide, covering nuclear activity and sanctions. Regional militias and Hormuz rules also remain contested.

The nuclear file remains the longest-running disagreement. Tehran says it has never tried to build a weapon. Since Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal eight years ago, enrichment rises sharply. US officials want Iran to surrender enriched stockpiles. The stockpiles are believed under rubble near Isfahan.

Tehran says the right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable. Iran wants all sanctions lifted and seeks compensation for recent damage. Iranian leaders also want guarantees against further strikes. Iran says it is hit twice in the last year during active talks. Many analysts doubt Islamabad can resolve every issue.

Before the war, shipping passes without major Iranian interference. Since the conflict starts, Iran gains a chokehold over a key oil route. Tehran wants new transit rules, possibly inspections or tolls. Many governments, especially in Gulf states, call these ideas unacceptable. Israel and the US want limits on Iran’s regional influence.

Iran argues years of international sanctions weaken the economy. Hemmati’s inclusion highlights Tehran’s focus on relief. Iran also seeks compensation linked to strikes on steel and petrochemicals. Economic problems deepen since the war begins. A government-imposed internet blackout starts on 28 February and still continues.

Businesses in Iran say the blackout disrupts trade, payments, and services. The outage compounds damage from physical attacks on industrial sites. Iranian leaders are expected to push sanctions and connectivity in Islamabad. Observers say the delegation’s senior composition signals seriousness, despite deep mistrust.

US-Iran peace talks: Lebanon front and human toll data

Lebanon’s war situation weighs heavily on the Islamabad discussions. Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire does not cover Lebanon. On Wednesday, Israel’s military carries out wide strikes across the country. Lebanon’s health ministry says more than 300 people die in a single day. Israel says it kills 180 Hezbollah fighters on Wednesday.

The reported figures include deaths and injuries across several measures. Lebanese officials report 1,953 people killed since the war begins. The count includes 357 deaths after Wednesday’s large-scale strikes. The health ministry says 6,303 people are injured so far. It says 1,223 are wounded since the latest bombardment.

Location	Period	Reported killed	Reported injured
Lebanon (total)	Since war began	1,953	6,303
Lebanon (Wednesday strikes)	Wide-scale Israeli attacks	357	1,223
Hezbollah fighters (Israeli claim)	Wednesday strikes	180	Not stated
State security personnel, Nabatieh	Recent strikes	13	Not stated

In Beirut, residents describe fear as strikes hit homes and shops. Shopkeeper Ghayath Itani tells the BBC that a block is struck first. Itani says three more hits smash a nearby warehouse. Itani says metal fragments fly into homes and shops. Itani also says stairs and lifts fail, trapping residents.

Another resident, Tarek Ismail, says a strike hits above a shop entrance. "There was a massacre down there because the flat was crowded with displaced people and children," Ismail says. Ismail says the search finds a brother injured among debris. The account reflects pressure on civilians in dense areas.

Souheil Hamad says successive blasts raise fears of collapse. "The first strike we were all scared," Hamad says. "Then it all happened one after another, I wanted to leave [but] I couldn't... The last strike, the glass was shattered on us, we thought that was it, the building is falling down on us and we will all die."

Hamad continues: "Once [I] went out all I saw was smoke and a massacre, people everywhere and fire." Hamad adds: "The civilians are getting hit," Hamad says. "No security at all." Images from Nabatieh show emergency teams fighting fires. Rubble and twisted metal sit across strike sites.

Doctors in Beirut describe unusual conditions during this escalation. Karl Jallad says casualties arrive quickly after the blasts. "We immediately knew we were facing something different", Jallad told BBC News. Jallad says around 20 patients need urgent operations or amputations. Some are already dead upon arrival.

Dr. Firass Abiad tells Radio 4's Today programme that conditions are "devastating". Abiad says some suffer "severe injuries" across age groups. Abiad mentions an eight-month-old child and a 90-year-old man. Abiad says the older man later dies from wounds. The accounts underline strain on health services.

US-Iran peace talks: parallel Washington channel on Lebanon

Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar says a ceasefire is the top demand. Visiting a major blast site, Hajjar tells the BBC: "The goal is the ceasefire. Whatever is required, even going to the far end of the world, we are ready to do it in order to get security, peace and stability for our country."

Ahmad Hajjar also says: "We are working very seriously on a diplomatic path," Hajjar adds. Lebanese officials say direct talks with Israel start only after a ceasefire. The Lebanese presidency says Lebanon and Israel will meet on Tuesday at the US State Department in Washington. The US will mediate.

The presidency says the Tuesday meeting aims to "seek an announcement on a ceasefire and a date to begin direct negotiations". President Joseph Aoun's office links it to a reported call. The call involves Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in the US. The US ambassador to Lebanon also joins, focusing on Tuesday’s agenda.

Israel agrees to formal peace discussions with Lebanese representatives in Washington. Israel insists it will not negotiate a ceasefire directly with Hezbollah. Michael Leiter says: "Israel refused to discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which continues to attack Israel and is the main obstacle to peace between the two countries,".

US-Iran peace talks: Tehran’s signals and symbolic messaging

Iranian observers note Ghalibaf’s position within the political system. Ghalibaf is seen as a possible future president. Ghalibaf also uses X posts to stress mistrust of the US. There are unconfirmed war-time reports that US officials briefly consider Ghalibaf as a possible interlocutor. Araghchi brings long experience from nuclear negotiations.

The most recent nuclear talks take place two days before the war erupts on 28 February. Iran says an earlier leg uses a symbolic aircraft name. Tehran says the delegation travels on a plane named after Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in Minab. The flight, "Minab 168", honours 168 people, mostly children.

Iran says the school is hit on 28 February and the building is razed. Media reports cite US military investigators as saying US forces are likely responsible, unintentionally. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the incident is under investigation. No final findings are released. After landing, Ghalibaf posts an image from inside the aircraft.

The photo shows four seats with a child's backpack and a flower. A photograph of a child sits above each seat. "My companions on this flight," Ghalibaf writes. The post is used to highlight civilian suffering before talks. The symbolism adds pressure to the meeting’s diplomatic setting.

Maleeha Lodhi says the talks are very likely to go ahead. Lodhi tells BBC Radio 5 Live there is "cautious optimism" in Islamabad. Lodhi says it is "entirely unrealistic" to expect a full agreement within hours. Lodhi says a "broad understanding" and continued talks are the most plausible outcome.

If cameras capture Vance beside Ghalibaf, the image would be historic. It would still not erase decades of hostility. Officials may avoid smiles and handshakes. Yet such a scene would show both governments are willing to test diplomacy. That effort takes place while the ceasefire remains extremely fragile.