Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will lead first direct talks since Operation Epic Fury began
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenShi Jiangtaoin Hong Kong,Fan Chenin Hong KongandCao Jiaxuanin BeijingPublished: 8:04pm, 10 Apr 2026The Islamabad talks scheduled to begin on Saturday will represent the first direct US-Iran negotiations since the Pentagon launched Operation Epic Fury six weeks ago.Vice-President J.D. Vance will lead the US team, which will include special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to the White House.
The Iranian delegation is expected to be led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Observers in China noted that Iran’s negotiating duo served as a key link among Tehran’s political factions, while cautioning that the outcome hinged on Iran’s predefined red lines and its actual room for manoeuvre.
Grieving families in Beirut hospital identify bodies after deadliest day of war
Grieving families in Beirut hospital identify bodies after deadliest day of warThe White House has confirmed that the first round of talks will begin on Saturday morning local time at the Serena Hotel, a five-star property in the Pakistani capital that has been cleared of guests and secured for the delegations.
