Iran, US to hold peace talks overshadowed by mutual mistrust

Iran and the United States were scheduled to hold peace talks in Pakistan on Saturday, with the foes appearing to be far apart on key demands and expressing mutual mistrust.

The Iranian delegation, with more than 70 members and headed by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived first in Islamabad, where security was tight.

"We have good intentions, but we do not trust," Iranian state TV quoted Ghalibaf as saying upon his arrival in Pakistan's capital. "Our experience in negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises."

Vice President JD Vance, who is heading the U.S. delegation, which also includes Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, was equally wary in comments to reporters before leaving Washington.

"If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," Vance said.

But "if they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive."

Iran has insisted on a truce in Lebanon and unfreezing of its assets for the Islamabad talks to go ahead -- neither of which has materialized so far.

U.S. President Donald Trump demanded the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as a condition for the two-week ceasefire, which has made the negotiations possible.

The strait, through which one-fifth of the world's crude passes, has not reopened to normal traffic, however, and Trump vowed on Friday to have it open soon "with or without" Iran's cooperation.

He said his top priority at the Islamabad talks was to ensure the Islamic Republic cannot have a nuclear weapon. "No nuclear weapon. That's 99 percent of it," he said.

AFP