Iran has said that it will not move ahead with the upcoming peace talks in Pakistan unless two key conditions are met: the release of its blocked overseas assets and a ceasefire in Lebanon. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf claimed the demands had already been agreed upon with the U.S. and warned that negotiations will not begin until they are implemented. The statement has added fresh uncertainty to the talks scheduled for Saturday, with no immediate response from the White House.
Earlier, Vice President JD Vance, who will lead the U.S. delegation, set off for the talks in Pakistan saying he expected a positive outcome. But “if they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive”, Vance added.
Iran has been unable to obtain tens of billions of dollars of its assets in foreign banks, mainly from exports of oil and gas, due to U.S. sanctions on its banking and energy sectors.
TENUOUS TRUCE
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in the six-week war on Tuesday, just hours before a deadline after which he had threatened to destroy Iran’s civilisation. However, the truce is tenuous with Israel’s continuing bombardment of Lebanon and the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz proving key sticking points for both sides.
The ceasefire has halted the campaign of U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran. But it has so far done nothing to end the blockade of the strait, which has caused the biggest-ever disruption to global energy supplies, or to calm a parallel war waged by Israel against Iran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.
Iran was doing a “very poor job” of letting oil through the strait, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post. He also warned Tehran against trying to collect fees from ships crossing it. “That is not the agreement we have!”
Israel has also said that its parallel campaign against militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon was not part of the agreed ceasefire.
Israeli strikes continued across southern Lebanon on Friday, with more than a dozen people reported killed in various towns. One strike killed eight members of Lebanese state security forces, the country’s state media said.
(With Reuters Inputs)
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience reporting on Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes journalism plays a crucial role in amplifying unheard voices and bringing attention to issues that truly matter. Sofia has contributed articles to The New Indian Express, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Maktoob Media. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity. Beyond the newsroom, she is a music enthusiast who enjoys singing. Connect with Sofia on X: https://x.com/SBCism
