US And Iran Hold Historic Peace Talks In Islamabad Amid Deep Mistrust

Pakistan hosted historic peace talks between the United States and Iran on April 11, 2026.

The U.S. delegation was led by Vice President J.D. Vance, while Iran's delegation was headed by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Al Jazeera

The talks were held at the Serena Hotel, transformed into a fortress with heavy security.

Both sides faced deep mutual mistrust and irreconcilable positions.

Ghalibaf said, "We have goodwill, but we do not trust."

The format of the talks remained uncertain until the last moment.

The U.S. and Iranian delegations stayed at the same hotel but did not hold face-to-face talks.

Al Jazeera

Iran insisted on preconditions including a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of frozen assets.

Ghalibaf warned that two mutually agreed measures have yet to be implemented.

The talks focused solely on U.S.-Iran issues.

The talks took place against the backdrop of a war that killed thousands and displaced millions.

The death toll from the Rahman Textile factory fire became a point of contention.

Reuters reported at least 28 dead, while Al Jazeera counted at least 41.

The war had disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint.

The World Bank warned that global growth could slow by up to 1 percentage point if the ceasefire failed.

The Islamabad talks carried enormous stakes for regional stability and global energy markets.

The Strait of Hormuz had been effectively closed since the war began.

AP7AM

The World Bank president told Reuters that inflation could rise by 200 to 300 basis points globally.

Israel and Lebanon prepared to begin separate negotiations.

The audit system for garment factories was reported as fundamentally broken.