Ceasefire talks begin in Islamabad between US and Iran, Tehran expresses distrust in Washington
發佈日期: 2026-04-11 19:54
TVB News
Ceasefire talks between Iran and the US are set to begin today in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
Sources say Washington has agreed to release frozen Iranian assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks -- a move viewed by Tehran as a signal for reaching long-term peace.
The US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan's capital this morning ahead of the peace talks aimed at putting a temporary pause to the six-week war.
Other key members of the delegation include envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
Having arrived earlier on the same day, Iran's representatives in the talks consisted of the nation's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials.
This as Ghalibaf stated conditions for the start of the negotiations, which included the implementation of a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The Iranian parliamentary speaker further said his country is sincere in its desire to negotiate with the US, but continues to distrust it.
Reuters earlier cited Iranian sources indicating that Washington has already agreed to Tehran's demands to unfreeze Iranian assets in Qatar and other foreign banks.
Tehran believes the move to be a positive signal to reaching a long-term peace, adding that the released assets are directly linked to the safe passage of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian media reported that its delegation will first discuss with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is serving as mediator, on the time and format of the peace talks.
Reports also say that Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir had earlier met with the Iranian delegation.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump told reporters in Maryland that the US delegation's primary objective is to ensure that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons.
He also believes the Strait of Hormuz will be open in the near future.
"Now we're going to open up the Gulf with or without them. But that'll be open. We're going to be, or the strait, as they call it. I think it's going to go pretty quickly, and if it doesn't, we'll be able to finish it off. One way or the other, it's going well."
