US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf began talks in Islamabad today as Pakistan hosts the two sides in an effort to calm tensions in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the delegations and held separate meetings with each group.
He told both sides that Pakistan stands ready to help keep the dialogue going.
The negotiations follow a ceasefire that centred on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz so oil tankers could move freely again.
That waterway carries much of the world’s oil supply.
US President Donald Trump issued a warning on Friday.
He said Iran has not kept to the terms of the agreement on oil traffic through the strait.
Trump stated: “Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz.
That is not the agreement we have!”He also addressed reports that Iran charges fees to tankers.
Trump added: “There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!”
Trump made clear that failure in the Islamabad talks could bring back American bombing of Iran.
Meanwhile, Sharif praised the delegations for showing up and expressed hope that the meetings produce results.
Details of the discussions remain limited, but both governments see the talks as a chance to sort out their differences without further conflict.
The two delegations arrived in Pakistan on Saturday morning.
Officials have not yet released any timetable for further sessions or any joint statement.
