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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, leading a 71-member Iranian delegation for negotiations with the United States.
He stated that Tehran has "good intentions but no trust" toward Washington and warned that Iran had been attacked twice during previous negotiations, as talks remained conditional on U.S. acceptance of Iranian preconditions, including a Lebanon ceasefire and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
Speaking to reporters upon arrival at Islamabad Airport, Ghalibaf addressed Vice President Vance's pre-departure remarks directly, which were cited by Iran's Tasnim News Agency.
"Unfortunately, our experience of negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and breach of contract. Twice in less than a year, in the middle of negotiations, despite the good intentions of the Iranian side, they attacked us and committed numerous war crimes," Ghalibaf stated.
"We have good intentions, but we do not trust," he added.
Ghalibaf said Iran was nonetheless prepared to reach an agreement if the U.S. demonstrated genuine sincerity.
"In the upcoming negotiations, if the American side is ready to make a real agreement and grant the rights of the Iranian people, they will see our readiness to make an agreement as well," he said.
He warned that Tehran would respond firmly if the talks were used as cover for insincere action.
"In the current war, we have shown them that if they want to use negotiations to carry out a fruitless show and deception operation, we are ready to realize our rights with faith in God and relying on the power of our people," Ghalibaf stated.
The Iranian delegation of 71 people includes the main negotiating team, technical and expert committees, media personnel, and protocol and security teams, according to Tasnim News Agency's correspondent in Islamabad.
Ghalibaf heads the delegation as its leader. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leads the political committee. Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati leads the economic committee. Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a member of the National Defense Council, leads the military committee. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei heads the legal committee.
Additional members include Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, Foreign Policy Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri Kani, parliament member Seyyed Mahmoud Nabavian, the Speaker's International Affairs Assistant Abolfazl Amoui, and the Speaker's strategic adviser Mehdi Mohammadi.
The U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and including Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Pakistan before the Iranian team and is based at the American embassy in Islamabad.
The U.S. contingent of approximately 300 includes the main negotiating team, advisory committees, and a substantial security and protocol team, according to Tasnim.
Talks are set to take place at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad. The Iranian delegation was scheduled to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before noon Saturday.
Formal negotiations were expected to begin Saturday afternoon, but only if the U.S. accepted Iran's preconditions, according to Tasnim.
Tehran has said talks would begin only if Washington accepts a Lebanon ceasefire and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
Pakistan, alongside Türkiye, China, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, helped secure the two-week ceasefire on Wednesday between Washington and Tehran, 40 days after the U.S. and Israel initiated attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.
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