Hours before the beginning of negotiations between Iran and USA at Islamabad under Pakistan's mediation, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran will not begin negotiations with the United States unless two agreed measures are carried out: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's frozen assets.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf said these issues had already been agreed upon between the parties but were still not implemented, making it impossible to move ahead with talks.
"These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin." he said.
Talking about first demand, it comes from a dispute over whether Lebanon is covered under the ceasefire or not.
Trump said Washington and Iran had agreed to a two-week ceasefire, though it wasn't clear if Israel's campaign in Lebanon was part of the agreement. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key mediator, said the truce included Lebanon, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disagreed.
After that, Israel launched its largest assault on Lebanon since the start of its invasion, escalating the campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah even after the US announced a ceasefire in the wider Middle East conflict.
Whereas, the second demand, release of Iran's frozen assets, refer to billions of dollars held abroad that Tehran cannot access due to US and international sanctions imposed over its nuclear programme and regional activities. These funds are largely earnings from oil sales and other revenues kept in foreign banks but blocked from being transferred back to Iran.
Estimates suggest Iran has between $100 billion and $120 billion in such assets globally, spread across countries like South Korea, Iraq, China and Japan.
As per reports, in recent years, some limited amounts have been released as part of diplomatic deals, including about $6 billion held in Qatar and over $2 billion unlocked in neighbouring countries, but most funds remain restricted.
For Tehran, access to these assets is a key demand in negotiations, and as per Iran, the money could help stabilise its economy, fund imports and ease domestic pressure.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance has departed for Pakistan to lead Washington's delegation in crucial peace talks with Iran, the delegation is also expected to include senior officials Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, both of whom were involved in earlier rounds of negotiations with Iran.
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Iran's delegation, on the other hand, expected to include Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, is anticipated to arrive shortly, though details remain fluid after earlier updates were withdrawn.
With tensions still simmering after weeks of conflict, all eyes are now on Islamabad as the talks aim to prevent further escalation and revive diplomatic engagement.
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