US Iran talks begin with meeting between Vance and Sharif

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad, marking the start of US-Iran talks, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Saturday.

The meeting was also attended by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Pakistani side was represented by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Earlier, Sharif also welcomed the Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Initially, the talks were expected to begin with a handshake between the heads of the two delegations or with a Pakistani official standing between them.

However, in the absence of such an arrangement, the sides are expected to proceed with indirect negotiations mediated by Pakistan.

The discussions are expected to focus on ending the conflict with Iran and are likely to last throughout the day. If progress is made, further rounds of talks may follow.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported on the US-Iran talks in Islamabad.