Discussions between the U.S. and Iran have begun in Pakistan on Saturday, officials told press in Islamabad.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is leading the U.S. delegation, also comprised by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Vance met with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shortly after landing, as Pakistani officials positioned themselves as key mediators between Washington and Tehran. Iranian negotiators have also held separate talks with Sharif ahead of expected negotiations with the U.S. delegation, The Guardian reported.
CBS News cited Iranian state TV claiming that Tehran's diplomats have "red lines" including a ceasefire and war reparations, but a U.S. official has said there are no agreements so far.
Washington also rejected unfreezing some Iranian assets, contradicting a claim from a Tehran official who had claimed that was the case.
Speaking to Reuters, the senior Iranian official said assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks had been released, claiming it was a show of "seriousness" from the U.S.
The person went on to say that the development was linked to "ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz."
Another source told the outlet that the assets amount to $6 billion, which had been frozen in 2018.They had been due for release in 2023 after a prisoner swap with the U.S. but the administration of Joe Biden froze them again after the October 7 attacks carried in Israel by Hamas, an Iranian proxy.
The negotiations come after weeks of escalating violence across the region and a tenuous truce brokered with Pakistan's help. Key sticking points include Iran's nuclear program, sanctions relief, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and broader regional security issues.
In fact, as talks began, President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the U.S. is now "now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others." It was not directly clear what Trump meant by that.
"Incredibly, they don't have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves. Very interestingly, however, empty Oil carrying ships from many Nations are all heading to the United States of America to LOAD UP with Oil," Trump added.
Originally published on IBTimes
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