White House Confirms Face-to-Face Peace Talks
The White House has confirmed that negotiations between the United States and Iran are currently taking place in Islamabad in a face-to-face format.
This meeting represents the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades. The core US delegation is led by Vice-President Mike Pence, accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with senior advisers including Dr. Andrew Baker and Michael Vance providing support.
The diplomatic summit, facilitated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, aims to secure a peace agreement to end the weeks-long conflict.
The White House also confirmed that a "full suite of US experts on relevant subject areas are present in Islamabad" and that "additional experts are supporting from Washington." Negotiations are ongoing in the early hours of Sunday morning in Islamabad, around 3 a.m. local time.
A US delegation led by Vice-President Pence and an Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf first met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before commencing rounds of direct talks on Saturday.
The meeting seeks to end the weeks-long war that has resulted in thousands of deaths and disrupted the global economy, particularly due to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump States Deal with Iran Makes 'No Difference' to Him
Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House that whether a deal is reached with Iran "makes no difference" to him amid ongoing peace talks in Pakistan.
"Regardless of what happens, we win," Trump said. "Whether we make a deal or not, makes no difference to me."
When questioned about the possibility of unfreezing Iran’s assets, Trump stated:
"We’ve defeated them militarily. They’ve dropped a couple of water mines ... We’ve defeated all of their water boats, too."
"We’ve totally defeated that country and so let’s see what happens," he added. "Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t, it doesn’t matter. From the standpoint of America, we win."
Trump acknowledged the US is engaged in "very deep negotiations" with Iran, as Vice-President Pence has been involved in talks in Islamabad for several hours.
He also issued a warning to China, stating that the country will face "big problems" if it supplies arms to Iran.
Lebanon Death Toll Surpasses 2,000 Amid Israeli Attacks
The latest Israeli attacks in Lebanon have raised the death toll to over 2,000, with more than 6,300 wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Mourners in Lebanon are burying 13 state security officers killed when Israeli airstrikes struck their office headquarters in the southern town of Nabatiyeh. Funeral scenes similar to this have occurred hundreds of times across the country in recent weeks, as Israel intensifies attacks against what it claims are Hezbollah infrastructure and militants.
Israel is not participating in the negotiations in Islamabad. Its military reported bombing 200 targets in southern Lebanon yesterday, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that Israel remains committed to continuing its fight against Iran.
Earlier, Iranian negotiators demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon, reparations, and the unblocking of frozen assets as part of a peace deal during a preliminary meeting with Pakistani mediators led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A new round of talks between Iranian and US delegations resumed in Islamabad following a break, with Pakistani officials acting as mediators, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing its correspondent.
"Considering the US’s excessive demands, it seems that this is the Iranian team’s last chance to reach a common framework in this round of talks,"the agency reported.
The Gulf region has experienced a significant lull in hostilities, with no strikes reported on Saturday as high-stakes, face-to-face negotiations between the US and Iran continued in Islamabad.
This relative calm marks the first weekend of a formal two-week ceasefire that began last Tuesday. The pause in combat was brokered to allow diplomatic delegations, including US Vice-President Pence and Iranian officials, to negotiate a potential end to the war involving the US, Israel, and Iran, which has affected the region since 28 February.
A spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command denied an earlier US military claim that two navy destroyers transited the waterway, stating that "initiative over the passage of any vessel rests with the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," according to Iran’s state media.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage through which 20% of all oil and natural gas trade once passed, remains a major point of "serious disagreement" during negotiations between the US and Iran now taking place in Islamabad.
Pope Leo XIV Denounces War, Calls for Peace Talks
In his strongest remarks to date, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday condemned the "delusion of omnipotence" he says is driving the US-Israel war in Iran and urged political leaders to halt hostilities and negotiate peace.
Leo presided over an evening prayer service at St Peter’s Basilica on the same day the US and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan.
The first US-born pope did not mention the US or Trump by name in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. However, his tone and message appeared directed at Trump and US officials, who have emphasized US military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.
"Enough of the idolatry of self and money!" Leo said. "Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!
"Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned,"he added.
Leo, known for his careful choice of words, has emerged as a vocal critic of the Iran war.
Netanyahu Affirms Israel’s Commitment to Fight Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel remains committed to fighting Iran despite ongoing US-Iran negotiations.
"Israel under my leadership will continue to fight Iran’s terror regime and its proxies, unlike Erdogan who accommodates them and massacred his own Kurdish citizens,"Netanyahu said on social media.
Israel is not participating in the US-Iran talks in Islamabad.
The Strait of Hormuz remains among the main points of "serious disagreement" in talks between Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. It reported that consultations are continuing despite what it described as excessive US demands, while Iran insists on preserving its military gains.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that he had spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, emphasizing the importance of de-escalating the current situation through ceasefire talks in Pakistan.
"I stressed the need for Iran to restore freedom of navigation and security in the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible, to which France stands ready to contribute. I insisted on the importance of fully respecting the ceasefire, including in Lebanon,"Macron said in a post on X.
US Military Begins Clearing Mines in Strait of Hormuz
The US military announced on Saturday afternoon that it has "begun setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz."
"Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,"said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of Centcom, in a statement.
Navy destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy have transited the Strait of Hormuz into the Arabian Gulf, marking the start of a mission to clear the waterway of sea mines laid by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the statement.
The operation aims to restore passage to the world’s most vital energy corridor, which has been effectively blocked for over six weeks, causing a global surge in oil prices and historic supply disruptions.
