Iran Sets Conditions for Islamabad Talks
Iran's parliament speaker set two pre-conditions for Islamabad talks with the US on April 10: a Lebanon ceasefire and the release of frozen Iranian assets, hours before negotiations were set to begin.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Just 24 hours before the first round of direct talks between Iran and the United States was due to open in Islamabad, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf drew a sharp line in the sand — issuing two firm pre-conditions that he said must be met before his delegation takes its seat across from the Americans.
In a post on X on Friday, Qalibaf stated that two key points had been agreed upon by both sides but had not yet been implemented. He demanded that a ceasefire in Lebanon be formally announced and that Iran's frozen assets be released before the two countries' delegations convene in Pakistan.
"These two issues must be resolved before the talks begin," Qalibaf said.
The statement laid bare the depth of the divide between Tehran and Washington. While Qalibaf framed the Lebanon ceasefire as a binding pre-condition for any engagement, the White House had previously indicated that the existing ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon — a position that stands in direct contradiction to Tehran's demand.
Talks set for Saturday
The first round of direct Iran-US negotiations is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 11, in Islamabad, with Qalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance expected to lead their respective delegations. Whether the talks proceed as planned now depends on whether Washington moves to address Tehran's eleventh-hour demands — or holds its ground.