Iran talks have 'commenced' in Pakistan, PM Sharif says

US Vice President JD Vance and Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Qalibaf have met separately with Pakistan's prime minister in Islamabad.

Sharif has said he hopes the talks will lead to a "durable peace." DW has more.

Here is a roundup of the latest development from the conflict in the Middle East on Saturday, April 11:
US, Iran negotiating through Pakistani mediators, DW understands
Senior US and Iranian officials convened in Islamabad on Saturday for high-stakes talks aimed at ending their conflict in the Middle East, which has claimed thousands of lives, disrupted energy markets, and seriously strained the global economy following six weeks of fighting.

DW has learned that the discussions are currently unfolding in two separate tracks —one between the Pakistani hosts and the United States, and another between Pakistan and Iran.

The delegations may transition to a trilateral format if enough progress is made on their stated demands and conditions.

Officials in Islamabad say they are ready to facilitate both parties in any capacity required, although the ultimate decision on the structure and format of the talks will rest with Tehran and Washington.

The talks are weighed down by the continued fighting in Lebanon, even as positive signals from Islamabad suggest efforts are underway to address Tehran’s concerns on the issue.

Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon reportedly under siege
Israel's forces have surrounded the town of Bint Jbeil near the Israeli border, trapping dozens of Hezbollah fighters, according to media reports.

The Israeli media occasionally refers to the Shiite-majority town as the "capital of Hezbollah."
Meanwhile, a Hezbollah lawmaker in Lebanon's parliament decried plans for direct talks with Israel as a "blatant violation" of the Lebanese constitution and the pact regulating power sharing between religions.

Lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the move "exacerbates domestic divisions at a time when Lebanon most needs solidarity and internal unity to face Israel's aggression and preserve civil peace."
Fadlallah's comments come after Lebanon's Christian President Joseph Aoun said Lebanese and US ambassadors to the US held a joint call with the US ambassador to Lebanon.

"During the call, it was agreed to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the State Department to discuss declaring a ceasefire and the start date for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US auspices," the presidency statement said.

Pakistan's Sharif meets US Vice President JD Vance as peace talks start
The head of the US negotiating team in Islamabad, Vice President JD Vance, has met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is hosting the conference.

Vance was reportedly accompanied by top-level US diplomats Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner .

Sharif's office said the talks have "commenced," with Iran and the US seeking to turn a fragile ceasefire into a more permanent peace.

The Pakistani prime minister "reiterated that Pakistan looks forward to continue its facilitation of both sides in making progress towards sustainable peace in the region," according to the statement.

Sharif previously met the head of the Iranian delegation, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf .

US denies reports that it is unfreezing Iranian assets
The White House has denied reports that the US has agreed to unfreeze Iranian financial assets in Qatar and other foreign banks.

The report by the Reuters news agency had cited a "senior Iranian source."
The US and Iranian teams are meeting in Islamabad for peace talks.

Earlier on Saturday, the news agency cited the unnamed source as saying the unfreezing of funds was "directly linked" to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz .

A second Iranian source reportedly said that the US will be releasing $6 billion (€5.12 billion) of Iranian funds from Qatar.

WATCH LIVE: Can the US-Iran talks in Pakistan turn a fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace?

Pakistan's PM Sharif welcomes Iran's Qalibaf ahead of talks
Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad ahead of the scheduled talks with US negotiators.

According to Iranian media reports, the Iranian team will only decide whether to proceed with the peace talks after meeting with Sharif.

"Our experience in negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises," Qalibaf said shortly after landing.

Israel and the US have attacked Iran twice during high-level diplomatic talks in the previous ten months, once in June 2025 , and again in late February this year .

Meanwhile, the US negotiating team, led by Vice President JD Vance , has also arrived in Islamabad.

Before leaving the US, Vance said Washington was "willing to extend the open hand" if Iran was ready to negotiate in good faith.

Israel, Hezbollah trade fire ahead of Islamabad talks
At least three people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on a residential building in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning, according to Lebanon's state agency.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces said they were repelling the attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and published videos of what it said were strikes on Hezbollah's rocket launchers.

The Iran-backed Islamist militia said it was attacking Israeli positions.

Israel launched an invasion on south Lebanon during the war with Iran and is continuing its operations in the neighboring country despite the recent ceasefire accepted by Washington and Tehran.

Israel launched a massive barrage of missiles against Lebanon on Wednesday, just hours the truce was declared, killing over 350 people.

Ahead of the peace talks in Islamabad, the US and Israel insisted that the Lebanese operations were not part of the proposed ceasefire deal .

Iran, in turn, has threatened to end the ceasefire if attacks against Lebanon continue.

What are US and Iran expected to negotiate on?

In addition to Tehran calling for an end to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon (see our entry earlier), Iranian and the US negotiators are also expected to clash on several points, including sanctions relief, the Strait of Hormuz, and the long-running issue of Iran's nuclear program.

Lebanon gripped by uncertainty over Iran-US ceasefire
Following the latest wave of Israeli attacks, Lebanon faces what the UN calls a "perfect storm." Could the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel address the humanitarian crisis?

Learn more in this report by DW's Jennifer Holleis.

WATCH: 'No strategy, just panic,' Bolton says of Trump's Iran war
What do President Donald Trump's threats reveal about his mindset?

What's at stake as Vice President JD Vance heads into critical talks?

DW's Ines Pohl talks to John Bolton, one of Trump's former national security advisers.

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Pakistan calls for 'constructive' negotiations
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday urged the United States and Iran to "engage constructively" at talks in Islamabad .

In a foreign ministry statement, the Dar "expressed the hope that parties would engage constructively ," and reiterated "Pakistan's desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching a lasting and durable solution to the conflict."
Dispute over Lebanon strains fragile US-Iran talks
Lebanon has emerged as a key sticking point in US-Iran talks, with Tehran insisting any ceasefire must include an end to Israeli strikes against the Iran-backed Lebanese militants Hezbollah.

Here are the details how the issue of Lebanon looms over the talks:
Can Hezbollah be disarmed?

Israel and Lebanon to hold talks
Islamabad on edge ahead of US-Iran peace talks
All eyes are on Islamabad, where US and Iranian delegations are set to start negotiations.

Experts are cautiously optimistic, but also say a failure of the talks would spell more global chaos.

For more, read our story by DW's Haroon Janjua, reporting from Islamabad.

JD Vance lands in Pakistan to lead US delegation
US Vice President JD Vance has landed in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, according to Reuters news agency, citing a Pakistani source.

Vance is leading the US team for the highly anticipated talks with Iran.

Witkoff, Kushner arrive in Islamabad
US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner have arrived in Islamabad for talks with Iran, Reuters news agency reported citing Pakistani sources on Saturday.

A US government plane carrying top officials ‌ landed ⁠in ⁠the Pakistani capital .

At the negotiations, the US delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance.

The Iranian delegation arrived a day earlier on Friday.