US-Iran peace talks expected to continue later Sunday<\/p>\n
Historic talks between the US and Iran<\/a> appeared to have concluded for now, Iran\u2019s government said early on Sunday, following several hours of talks in Pakistan that are aimed at ending the weeks-long war between Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n Different Iranian media outlets, including Fars news agency and Tasnim news agency, are reporting that \u201cserious disagreements\u201d remain but at the suggestion of Pakistan, another round of talks will be held on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.04 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Two Pakistani officials have told Associated Press that discussions between the heads of the US and Iran<\/a> delegations will resume following a break, after the historic face-to-face negotiations reportedly paused before dawn.<\/p>\n The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press, said some technical personnel from both teams are still meeting \u2013 as the Iranian government said earlier<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A Pakistani official has told the Agence France-Presse news agency that talks are \u201cprogressing in the right direction\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI can say that discussions are moving positively and the overall atmosphere is cordial,\u201d they said, speaking on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Mood swings from the two sides\u2019 in first round of talks<\/p>\n In a post on X<\/a>, Iran\u2019s government said that after 14 hours, the talks had concluded and technical experts from both sides would exchange documents.<\/p>\n \u201cNegotiations will continue despite some remaining differences,\u201d the post added, though it did not say when they would restart. An Iranian state TV reporter said the talks would continue on Sunday, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n The Trump administration<\/a> has not yet commented on whether the negotiations had concluded and what, if any, differences remain. Asked about the progress of the talks, a senior White House offical earlier told media: \u201c15 hours and counting!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere were mood swings from the two sides and the temperature went up and down during the meeting,\u201d a Pakistani source told Reuters in reference to the first round of talks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.58 EDT<\/p>\n Summary of the day so far<\/p>\n High-stakes negotiations between the US and Iran took place in Islamabad, with the talks lasting several hours and confirmed by the White House to be face to face. The meeting marked the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades, aiming to secure a peace agreement to end the weeks-long war. The core US delegation is led by US vice-president JD Vance.<\/p>\n The strait of Hormuz remains among the main points of \u201cserious disagreement\u201d in talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, Iran\u2019s Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday. It added that consultations were continuing despite what it described as excessive US demands, while Iran insisted on preserving its military gains.<\/p>\n Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel remains committed to keep fighting Iran, despite ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran. \u201cIsrael under my leadership will continue to fight Iran\u2019s terror regime and its proxies,\u201d Netanyahu wrote on social media. Israel is not present at the US-Iran talks in Islamabad.<\/p>\n Donald Trump told reporters outside of the White House that it makes \u201cno difference\u201d to him if a deal is reached with Iran, amid the ongoing peace talks in Pakistan. \u201cRegardless of what happens, we win,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWhether we make a deal or not, makes no difference to me.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest Israeli attacks on Lebanon have pushed the death toll to over 2,000 with more than 6,300 wounded, according to the Health Ministry. Earlier, the Iranian negotiators demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon, reparations and commitment to unblock frozen assets as part of a peace deal in a preliminary meeting with Pakistani mediators.<\/p>\n The US military says it \u201cbegan setting conditions for clearing mines in the strait of Hormuz\u201d in an update released on Saturday afternoon, saying two navy destroyers had transited the strait. A spokesperson for Iran\u2019s joint military command later denied the claim by the US military that the navy destroyers transited the waterway.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.16 EDT<\/p>\n US-Iran peace talks expected to continue later Sunday<\/p>\n Historic talks between the US and Iran<\/a> appeared to have concluded for now, Iran\u2019s government said early on Sunday, following several hours of talks in Pakistan that are aimed at ending the weeks-long war between Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n Different Iranian media outlets, including Fars news agency and Tasnim news agency, are reporting that \u201cserious disagreements\u201d remain but at the suggestion of Pakistan, another round of talks will be held on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.04 EDT<\/p>\n Qatar has announced the full resumption of all maritime navigation activities beginning on Sunday. The Ministry of Transport confirmed that \u201call categories of marine vessels and transport modes\u201d will be permitted to operate between the hours of 6am and 6pm.<\/p>\n In an official statement, the ministry emphasized that all maritime operators must strictly adhere to safety protocols, including the continuous operation of tracking and communication systems.<\/p>\n It was not immediately clear whether the announcement meant that Qatari vessels would be allowed to transit the strait of Hormuz, which remained effectively closed as of Saturday.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that any attempt by military vessels to transit the strait of Hormuz would be met with \u201ca strong response\u201d, saying only non-military vessels would be allowed to pass under specific regulations, the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iranian media.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.22 EDT<\/p>\n It is now in the early hours of Sunday morning in Islamabad, around 3am local time, and negotiations are still reportedly ongoing.<\/p>\n A US delegation led by JD Vance<\/a> and an Iranian delegation led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf first met with Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif before rounds of direct talks Saturday.<\/p>\n The meeting marks the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades, aiming to secure a peace agreement to end the weeks-long war that has caused thousands of deaths and disrupted the global economy, particularly through Iran\u2019s closure of the strait.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.22 EDT<\/p>\n Trump says reaching a deal with Iran makes ‘no difference’ to him<\/p>\n Donald Trump told reporters outside of the White House that it makes \u201cno difference\u201d to him if a deal is reached with Iran, amid ongoing peace talks in Pakistan.<\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of what happens, we win,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWhether we make a deal or not, makes no difference to me.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked about the prospect of unfreezing Iran\u2019s assets, the president said: \u201cWe\u2019ve defeated them militarily. They\u2019ve dropped a couple of water mines … We\u2019ve defeated all of their water boats, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve totally defeated that country and so let\u2019s see what happens,\u201d Trump added. \u201cMaybe they make a deal, maybe they don\u2019t, it doesn\u2019t matter. From the standpoint of America, we win.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump acknowledged that the US is currently undergoing \u201cvery deep negotiations\u201d with Iran, as vice-president JD Vance<\/a> has been engaged in talks in Islamabad for several hours.<\/p>\n Trump also issued a threat to China, telling reporters that the country will have \u201cbig problems\u201d if it ships arms to Iran.<\/p>\n Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs from the White House in Washington, DC on 11 April. Photograph: Annabelle Gordon\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.36 EDT<\/p>\n Death toll in Lebanon reaches over 2,000<\/p>\n The latest Israeli attacks on Lebanon<\/a> have pushed the death toll to over 2,000 with more than 6,300 wounded, according to the health ministry.<\/p>\n Mourners in Lebanon are burying 13 state security officers killed when Israeli airstrikes hit their office headquarters in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh. Funeral scenes similar to this one on Saturday have played out hundreds of times across the country in recent weeks, as Israel<\/a> intensifies attacks against what it claims to be Hezbollah infrastructure and militants.<\/p>\n Israel is not present at today\u2019s negotiations in Islamabad as its military said yesterday it had bombed 200 Hezbollah targets<\/a> in southern Lebanon, and Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel remains committed to keep fighting Iran.<\/p>\n Earlier, the Iranian negotiators demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon, reparations and commitment to unblock frozen assets as part of a peace deal in a preliminary meeting with Pakistani mediators, led by Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.37 EDT<\/p>\n A new round of talks between Iranian and US delegations has begun in Islamabad following a break, with Pakistani officials acting as mediators, Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing its correspondent.<\/p>\n \u201cConsidering the US\u2019s excessive demands, it seems that this is the Iranian team\u2019s last chance to reach a common framework in this round of talks,\u201d the agency said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Gulf region has experienced a significant lull in hostilities, with no strikes reported on Saturday as high-stakes, face-to-face negotiations between the US and Iran<\/a> continued in Islamabad.<\/p>\n This relative calm marks the first weekend of a formal two-week ceasefire that went into effect last Tuesday. The pause in combat was brokered to allow diplomatic delegations, including US vice-president JD Vance<\/a> and Iranian officials, the opportunity to negotiate a potential end to the war involving the US, Israel and Iran, which has gripped the region since 28 February.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.16 EDT<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Iran\u2019s joint military command has denied an earlier claim by the US military that two navy destroyers transited the waterway, saying that \u201cinitiative over the passage of any vessel rests with the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran\u201d, according to Iran\u2019s state media.<\/p>\n The strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage through which 20% of all oil and natural gas trade once passed, is already reported to be one of the main points of \u201cserious disagreement\u201d during negotiations between the US and Iran, now taking place in Islamabad.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.46 EDT<\/p>\n In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the \u201cdelusion of omnipotence\u201d that he says is fueling the US-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.<\/p>\n Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St Peter\u2019s Basilica on the same day the US and Iran<\/a> began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan.<\/p>\n The first US-born pope didn\u2019t mention the US or Trump by name in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo\u2019s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and US officials, who have boasted of US military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough of the idolatry of self and money!\u201d Leo said. \u201cEnough of the display of power! Enough of war!<\/p>\n \u201cStop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has emerged as a vocal critic of the Iran war.<\/p>\n Pope Leo XIV delivers his message as he leads a vigil for peace inside St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on 11 April. Photograph: Gregorio Borgia\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.16 EDT<\/p>\n Netanyahu says Israel will keep fighting Iran<\/p>\n Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel<\/a> remains committed to keep fighting Iran, despite ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael under my leadership will continue to fight Iran\u2019s terror regime and its proxies, unlike Erdogan who accommodates them and massacred his own Kurdish citizens,\u201d Netanyahu wrote<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n Israel is not present at the US-Iran talks in Islamabad.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.04 EDT<\/p>\n The strait of Hormuz remains among the main points of \u201cserious disagreement\u201d in talks between Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad, Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday. It added that consultations were continuing despite what it described as excessive US demands, while Iran<\/a> insisted on preserving its military gains.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n French president Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that he had spoken with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, and had emphasized to him the importance of de-escalating the current situation through the ceasefire talks in Pakistan.<\/p>\n \u201cI stressed the need for Iran to restore freedom of navigation and security in the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> as quickly as possible, to which France stands ready to contribute. I insisted on the importance of fully respecting the ceasefire, including in Lebanon,\u201d Macron said in a post on X.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.19 EDT<\/p>\n The US military says it \u201cbegan setting conditions for clearing mines in the strait of Hormuz\u201d in an update released on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,\u201d said Adm Brad Cooper, commander of Centcom, in the statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Navy destroyers USS Frank E Petersen and USS Michael Murphy have transited the strait of Hormuz into the Arabian Gulf, marking the start of a mission to clear the waterway of sea mines laid by the IRGC, according to the statement.<\/p>\n The operation aims to restore passage to the world\u2019s most vital energy corridor, which has been effectively blocked for over six weeks, causing a global surge in oil prices and historic supply disruptions.<\/p>\n