US, Iran head to high-stakes Islamabad talks

WASHINGTON: The United States and Iran are heading into high-stakes ceasefire talks in Islamabad amid deep mistrust, competing demands and mounting pressure on both sides to find an exit from the conflict, according to mainstream American media reports.

As The Washington Post reported, the two sides appear to share little common ground beyond “their need to find an exit ramp from the war.”

Ahead of the talks, both countries accused each other of acting in bad faith. US President Donald Trump described Iran’s public proposals as “a hoax” and said Tehran was being “dishonourable” in restricting tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz, The Washington Post reported.

Iran, meanwhile, has set firm preconditions. According to The Washington Post and The New York Times, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said issues such as the release of “blocked assets” must be resolved before negotiations begin.

Vice President J.D. Vance, who is leading the US delegation, sought to lower tensions. “I think it’s going to be positive,” he told reporters, adding that if Iran negotiates “in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend an open hand,” according to The Washington Post.