Newsletters
Negotiations between the United States and Iran began face-to-face in Islamabad on Saturday after earlier indirect discussions, according to a Pakistani source cited by Reuters, Iranian state media and Iranian sources cited by CNN.
This marked the start of direct engagement between the two sides in the current round of diplomacy.
A Pakistani source told Reuters that U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met directly in Islamabad with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Pakistan's army chief, acting as mediator, was also in the room.
1 min read
A Pakistani source told Reuters that the talks between the U.S. and Iran are taking place face-to-face.
Iranian sources also told CNN that Saturday's peace talks between the U.S. and Iran were being held directly.
Earlier, CNN reported that the negotiations in Islamabad were underway amid uncertainty over whether they would be conducted through intermediaries.
Until then, it had not been clear whether mediators were shuttling between separate rooms used by the U.S. and Iranian delegations or whether both sides were meeting directly.
The latest reporting indicated that the delegations were in the same room in Islamabad.
According to the Pakistani source, the U.S. side includes Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The Iranian side includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Pakistan's army chief was also present in the room as mediator during the talks.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said on Saturday that, after progress in indirect discussions, negotiations between the United States and Iran had begun.
IRNA described the process as three-way talks involving the U.S., Iran and Pakistan.
According to the Iranian state news agency, the talks began after a reduction in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon and after other preconditions were met.
Iranian state-run media also reported that talks between Iran and the United States had started in Islamabad.
A U.S. official and a regional source told CNN on Friday that the high-stakes negotiations would involve both indirect and direct engagement.
Past rounds of talks had largely been indirect, conducted through Omani mediators, although there were some direct contacts during nuclear negotiations last spring.
The start of the meeting was described as direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iranian delegations.
The launch of face-to-face contacts followed earlier indirect exchanges and opened a new phase in the negotiations now underway in the Pakistani capital.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
