US and Iranian delegations have both arrived in Islamabad for high-stakes talks aimed at extending a fragile ceasefire after weeks of conflict.
US vice president JD Vance has arrived in the Pakistani capital and is leading the American delegation, while Iran’s team is headed by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and includes senior political and security officials.
US president Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen “fairly soon – with or without” Iran’s cooperation, adding: “If it doesn’t, we’ll be able to finish it off one way or the other.”
Vance said earlier that he expected a positive outcome but warned: “If they’re going to try to play us… the negotiating team is not that receptive.”
Iran has said talks will only begin if previously agreed conditions are met, including a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of its frozen assets.
Recommended
‘We’re loading up the ships’: Trump prepares for more attacks if Iran doesn’t listen in peace talks
Starmer ‘fed up’ with Iran war impact and says it is proof UK must reinforce European ties
Pete Buttigieg absolutely shreds CNBC host on Iran war and Trump’s broken inflation promises
Martin Lewis gives ‘urgent’ energy bill advice amid Iran ceasefire
Trump warns ‘no nuclear weapons’ ahead of high stakes peace talks with Iran
Donald Trump has declared that Iran agreeing not to pursue a nuclear weapon would be the mark of a successful peace talks with Tehran in Pakistan this weekend.
US vice president JD Vance and Iranian negotiators have arrived in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad for the talks, which are scheduled to begin on Saturday and are aimed at bringing an end to the six-week conflict.
“No nuclear weapon number one,” Trump said when asked what a good deal looks like for the White House. “I think it's already been regime change, but we never had that as a criteria. No nuclear weapon, that's 99 per cent of it.”
Tehran denies it is pursuing a nuclear weapon.
James C. Reynolds and Alex Croft report:
Trump warns ‘no nuclear weapons’ ahead of high stakes peace talks with Iran
Donald Trump is under renewed pressure to find a lasting peace agreement as inflation climbs to two-year highNicole Wootton-Cane11 April 2026 09:45
Trump’s failure in Iran has been laid bare – and it’s about to get worse
The US president is cobbling together a ceasefire he doesn’t seem to understand and somehow making the brutal Iranian regime look positively charismatic while they choke the global economy, Jon Sopel writes
Trump’s failure in Iran has been laid bare – and could get much worse
The president is cobbling together a ceasefire he doesn’t seem to understand and somehow making the brutal Iranian regime look positively charismatic while they choke the global economy, Jon Sopel writesShahana Yasmin11 April 2026 09:31
Indonesia to discuss purchasing Russian oil
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will visit Russia in the coming days to discuss the potential for purchasing Russian oil.
He is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin during the visit, Indonesia's foreign minister said on Saturday, citing the Iran conflict and the need to source alternative oil.
Asked previously about a possible visit, the Kremlin said contacts between the two leaders were being prepared.
Nicole Wootton-Cane11 April 2026 09:26
Sending UK ships to police Strait of Hormuz ‘a fantasy’, ex-defence secretary warns
Sending British warships to police the Strait of Hormuz is a “fantasy” because the UK’s armed forces are already so depleted, former defence secretary Ben Wallace has warned.
Mr Wallace, who served as defence secretary under three Tory prime ministers, said such a move, which armed forces minister Luke Pollard refused to rule out on Friday, risked “leaving our troops dangerously unprotected and overstretched”.
He urged the government to stop ducking tough decisions and properly fund Britain’s defence, as he accused ministers of “taking the public for fools” after the current defence secretary, John Healey, insisted the UK is ready to defend itself.
Shahana Yasmin11 April 2026 09:15
Pakistan's foreign minister says he hopes US, Iran will engage 'constructively' in peace talks
Pakistan’s foreign minister has said he hopes the US and Iran will engage “constructively” in peace talks.
The country is set to host high-stakes discussions in its capital Islamabad.
In a statement, Ishaq Dar also reiterated Islamabad's desire to continue facilitating the parties to reach a "lasting and durable solution to the conflict".
Nicole Wootton-Cane11 April 2026 09:00
Pakistan ramps up preparations for US-Iran talks in Islamabad
Pakistan has set up a media centre in Islamabad to support coverage of talks between the US and Iran, information minister Attaullah Tarar said.
The facility at the Jinnah Convention Center includes high-speed internet and workstations with laptops and charging points for journalists. Tarar said shuttle services have been arranged to transport reporters between the venue and designated hotels.
Pakistan has also introduced visa-on-arrival for journalists and official delegations travelling for what it has called the “Islamabad talks”.
The centre includes areas for live stand-ups and press briefings and screens broadcasting domestic and international news channels.
Shahana Yasmin11 April 2026 08:45
In pictures: JD Vance arrives in Islamabad for peace talks
Nicole Wootton-Cane11 April 2026 08:34
Israel and Lebanon envoys to meet as strikes kill 13 in Nabatieh
Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s envoy Nada Hamadeh Moawad will meet in Washington on Tuesday, Israeli and Lebanese officials said.
Lebanon’s presidency said the two had agreed in a phone call on Friday to discuss announcing a ceasefire and setting a start date for negotiations under US mediation. Israel’s embassy in Washington, however, said the meeting would mark the start of “formal peace negotiations” and that it would not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Israeli strikes continued across Lebanon on Friday. A strike on a government building in Nabatieh killed 13 members of Lebanon’s state security forces, President Joseph Aoun said. Hezbollah said it fired rockets into northern Israel in response.
Lebanese authorities said Israel’s largest attack of the war, launched hours after the ceasefire was announced, killed more than 350 people.
Shahana Yasmin11 April 2026 08:30
US and Iran send large teams to Islamabad for high-stakes talks
Iran and the US have deployed sizeable delegations to Islamabad ahead of the start of today's talks, underlining the scale and complexity of the negotiations.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said its delegation includes around 70 officials, including technical experts in economic, security and political fields, along with media and support staff.
A Pakistani government source said about 100 members of an advance US team were already in the city.
“We’re very positive,” a source close to the discussions said, but cautioned it was “too early to say” whether a deal could be reached on Saturday, adding negotiators had instructions to “close a deal or walk away”.
The talks come amid a fragile ceasefire that has halted airstrikes but not eased tensions over the Strait of Hormuz or fighting in Lebanon.
Shahana Yasmin11 April 2026 08:15
How China became the big winner from Trump’s war in Iran
As the US has floundered on the world stage, China, in contrast, has begun to look solid and dependable. Though that doesn’t necessarily mean the superpower war is over, writes Chris Blackhurst
How China became the big winner from Trump’s war in Iran
As the US has floundered on the world stage, China, in contrast, has begun to look solid and dependable. Though that doesn’t necessarily mean the superpower war is over, writes Chris BlackhurstShahana Yasmin11 April 2026 08:00NewerOlder