- News code: 1704880
The talks between high-level Iranian and US delegations officially began in the Pakistani capital on Saturday afternoon after the US partially agreed to Iran’s preconditions for the talks.
The Iranian negotiators engaged in the talks after the US agreeing to unblock the Iranian assets and the Israeli regime scaled back its attacks against Lebanon from Beirut to southern Lebanese territories which Iran regards as a partial progress in the de-escalation process in the Arab county.
During the talks in Islamabad, the two sides will also work on expert and technical ways to unblock the Iranian assets.
Iran says that the ceasefire in Lebanon has yet to be completed and the US must oblige Israel to implement its commitment in this regard.
Tehran insists that a secession of attacks in all fronts, including in Lebanon, is part of the ceasefire between Iran and the US. Pakistan has also confirmed this, but Washington and the Israeli regime say the Lebanese front is not included in the agreement.
Before the talks, Iran presented its demands and conditions to the Pakistani mediators based on its 10-point proposal, which had been sent to Washington through intermediaries before the ceasefire.
US agrees to release Iran's frozen assets as precondition ahead of Islamabad talks: Report
The US has reportedly agreed to release frozen Iranian assets in Qatar and foreign banks as a precondition ahead of the Islamabad talks.
Reuters quoted an unnamed source as saying that the US had agreed to release Iranian frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, and welcomed the move as a sign of “seriousness” in reaching a deal with Washington during talks in Islamabad. The United States has not made any public comments on the issue of unfreezing assets.
Reuters further quoted the source as saying that unfreezing the assets was “directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” which is expected to be a key issue in the talks.
Also, according to a correspondent from IRIB, US officials have agreed to Iran’s request to unfreeze its blocked assets.
Media outlets close to the American delegation are also confirming the development, the correspondent said. However, no official or fully verified confirmation has yet been released regarding the unfreezing of Iran’s assets.
Based on the statement by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the US has been forced to accept the 10-point plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in which America is principally committed to non-aggression, the continuation of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of enrichment, the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions,
the termination of all UN Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, compensation for Iran’s damages, the withdrawal of American combat forces from the region, and the cessation of war on all fronts, including against the heroic Islamic Resistance of Lebanon.
Earlier, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said two of the actions agreed upon by the parties have not yet been realized: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets before the start of negotiations.
A high-ranking Iranian delegation arrives in the Pakistani capital for talks with the United States, amid the Islamic Republic's warnings that failure to meet Tehran's preconditions would prompt the process to fail.
Headed by Qalibaf, the delegation, featuring security, political, military, economic, and legal committees, reached Islamabad on Friday.
Journalists in Islamabad remain on standby, watching closely behind closed doors as it becomes clearer whether negotiations between Tehran and Washington will finally take place.
Currently, the Iranian delegation is holding meetings with Pakistan’s Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament.
These discussions are expected to help determine the framework and details of any future Iran–US talks.