Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, on Friday set two key conditions for the much-anticipated talks in Islamabad—calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets.
The move comes as a surprise, especially with a JD Vance-led US delegation already en route to Islamabad
. However, there remains no clarity on whether Israel or Iran will send official representatives for the talks.“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,” wrote Ghalibaf in a post on X. “These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.”
Before leaving for Islamabad, Vance expressed measured optimism ahead of a potentially defining diplomatic moment.
“We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive,” Vance said ahead of the departure. “Trump gave us some pretty clear guidelines on negotiations.”
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the delegation included President Trump’s “right-hand man” Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner.
The talks are set to take place in Islamabad after the US and Iran agreed to come to the table for a ceasefire, nearly a month after a major US-Israel military campaign targeted Iran’s leadership, military infrastructure, and key facilities. The strikes reportedly killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several top officials, marking a major escalation in the conflict.
The Islamabad talks came ahead of Donald Trump’s announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the conflict. However, the truce appears increasingly fragile, with Israel continuing strikes in Lebanon—an arena “not covered” under the agreement—prompting Iran to warn it may withdraw from the deal.
White House Deputy Press Secretary told Fox News that President Trump is optimistic that a deal can be reached that can lead to lasting peace in the Middle East.
“President Trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the United States and the American people, and he will only accept one that puts America first,” the official said.
