US-Iran Face-Off: Tehran: "Excessive Demands on Hormuz"
A second round of talks will be held in Islamabad: representing Iran are Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Araghchi, while representing the US are Vice President Vance with Witkoff and Kushner.
Il vicepresidente Usa JD Vance, il premier pakistano Shehbaz Sharif e il presidente del Parlamento iraniano Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (Ansa)
In Islamabad, Pakistan , it is the day of negotiations between Iran and the United States, the first historic face-to-face meeting between the two countries since 1979 .
"We have good intentions, but we don't trust them," said Iranian Parliament Speaker and head of the Tehran delegation, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, upon his arrival in Islamabad for the talks. "Our experience in negotiations with the Americans has always ended in failure and broken promises," Ghalibaf said. The Iranian delegation also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi .
The American delegation is led by Vice President J.D. Vance, accompanied by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law .
The news for Saturday, April 11:
Iranian media: "A new round of talks has begun in Islamabad."
A new round of talks between Iranian and US delegations has begun in Islamabad, with Pakistani officials acting as mediators. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported this, quoting a correspondent who said the current round of negotiations appears to be "the last chance" to reach a common vision, given what he calls "excessive demands from the United States."
Pasdaran: "Talks clouded by dispute over Hormuz and excessive US demands."
According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), talks in Islamabad between the Iranian and US delegations were overshadowed by a "serious" dispute over the Strait of Hormuz. After the parties reached the stage of exchanging draft texts for a possible framework agreement, the report said, "but the US delegation's usual 'excessive demands' have hindered progress." The Strait of Hormuz is one of the issues causing strong disagreement, the statement said, adding that consultations are ongoing, Iran International said.
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Iran: US's maximalist stance casts a shadow over talks in Pakistan
US negotiators have maintained a "maximalist" approach in this round of talks in Islamabad, with mistrust and pessimism shaping the discussions. Iranian state TV, cited by Iran International, stated that a new round of talks would be a last-ditch effort to determine whether the talks in Pakistan could help bring the two delegations closer together. However, a senior White House official told AFP in a brief statement that the talks are ongoing, after Iranian state media had previously reported that two rounds had taken place and a third was planned.
The death toll from Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon rises to 18.
The death toll from Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon rises to 18. Eight people were killed this afternoon in attacks in a town in the Sidon region. At least nine people were injured, five of them seriously, the Ministry of Health said. This morning, 10 people were killed, including three emergency workers, in Israeli attacks in the Nabatieh region.
Two US ships in Hormuz for mine clearance
Two American warships are transiting the Strait of Hormuz for a minesweeping operation, US Central Command reported in a social media post. In a statement, CENTCOM announced that "the USS Frank E. Peterson and the USS Michael Murphy have passed through the Strait as part of a broader mission to ensure it is completely clear of naval mines previously laid by the IRGC." "We will soon share this route with the maritime sector to facilitate the free flow of commerce," said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of Central Command.
The first direct US-Tehran negotiations, the most important since 1979
Iranian and American officials began direct negotiations this afternoon in Islamabad in an attempt to reach a lasting truce in a war that is shaking the global economy, despite numerous uncertainties. These face-to-face talks, the most significant between the two adversaries since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, are being held in a trilateral format, according to a White House statement. Pakistani officials, who facilitated the two-week ceasefire that went into effect Wednesday, are also participating. The American delegation is led by Vice President J.D. Vance, accompanied by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law. Iran is represented in Islamabad by its influential Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to Trita Parsi, an analyst at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington and an expert on the subject, "the level of responsibility and the size of the Iranian delegation, which includes the Central Bank governor, demonstrate both Tehran's sincerity in these negotiations and its expectations and confidence." "Never before have the Iranians negotiated with the United States with so many advantages, and they clearly intend to exploit them to the fullest," she said.
Iran: "Ready for any scenario"
Iran "is ready for any scenario following the ongoing talks with the United States, whether military and defense or negotiating," said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, a member of the Iranian delegation at the Tehran-Washington talks in Islamabad. According to Tasnim, Gharibabadi expressed hope for "positive conclusions in the talks, considering the seriousness of the Iranian delegation and Iran's position of strength." Meanwhile, another member of the Iranian delegation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, said the two sides had begun exchanging messages since the previous night, after their respective delegations arrived in Islamabad. "We emphasized the need for a comprehensive ceasefire between Iran and the United States-Israel. We are also in contact with Lebanon to verify whether a comprehensive ceasefire has actually been implemented there," he said.
US denies receiving threats from Iran against ships in Hormuz
"We have not received any threat from Iran to attack ships" of the US Navy in Hormuz. This is according to a US official, quoted by Axios journalist Barak Ravid on X, who denies Iranian media claims that Tehran has warned the United States of possible retaliation against American ships intending to pass through Hormuz.
Iran: "US ship in Hormuz turned back after Tehran threatened attack."
Iranian state television is denying reports from U.S. sources that U.S. Navy ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the war began, Iran International reports. State television explained that a warning was issued to a U.S. naval vessel that it would be attacked within 30 minutes if it entered the strait, Reuters' chief national security reporter, Phil Stewart, reports on X. He maintains that the vessel withdrew after the warning, according to a senior Iranian military official who spoke to Iranian state television.
First face-to-face meeting between the US and Iran since 1979
According to a Pakistani source, face-to-face trilateral talks are taking place in Islamabad between US Vice President J.D. Vance, US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's brother-in-law Jared Kushner, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and the Pakistani army chief. Al Arabiya reports, citing Reuters. If confirmed, according to CNN, they would be the first direct talks between the US and Iran since the founding of the Islamic Republic.
Media, US Navy ships pass through Hormuz for the first time
"Several US Navy ships" have just passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios journalist Barack Ravid, citing a US official. The move, he added, "was not coordinated with Iran," and it's the first time such a move has occurred since the war began.
Trump: "We're clearing Hormuz for our allies; they didn't have the courage."
"We are now beginning the process of cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz, as a favor to countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they lack the courage or will to do this on their own," Donald Trump wrote in Truth, once again attacking US allies.
Trump: "Iran's only asset is the threat of mines in Hormuz."
"Iran's only remaining recourse is the threat of a ship 'running into' one of their sea mines—mines that, incidentally, are orphaned, as all 28 of their mine-laying vessels also lie on the seabed." Donald Trump wrote this in a long post on the war against Tehran on Truth.
Iran-US talks begin in Islamabad
Negotiations between Iran and the US have begun in Islamabad, according to several Iranian media outlets, including IRNA and Mehr. The talks began following "the development of intensive consultations in Islamabad, during which issues such as limiting Israeli attacks from Beirut to southern Lebanon, the US release of Iranian assets, and the need for more detailed technical and expert discussions were discussed," the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported, noting that official talks have begun to finalize these points. Iran has also asked the United States to persuade Israel to implement a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon.
Trump wants to sell US crude oil
"A huge number of completely empty tankers, some of the largest in the world, are heading to the United States right now to load up on the world's best, sweetest oil (and gas!)," wrote US President Donald Trump in a post on his social media platform, Truth. "We have more oil than the world's two largest oil-producing economies combined, and of superior quality. We're waiting for you. Fast delivery!" he added.
China ready to send weapons to Tehran in the coming weeks
US intelligence agencies claim that China is preparing to supply new air defense systems to Iran in the coming weeks, CNN reports, citing three sources familiar with recent intelligence assessments. According to CNN, the systems Beijing is preparing to transfer are man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems known as Manpads. The intelligence information also highlights how Iran could use the ceasefire as an opportunity to procure certain weapons systems with the help of key foreign partners. Two of the sources told the US television network that there are indications that Beijing is working to route the shipments through third countries to disguise their true origin.
Beirut: Ten people killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said ten people, including three emergency workers, were killed today in Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon, while state media reported raids in over a dozen locations. The ministry said three deadly attacks hit localities in the Nabatiyeh district, killing, among others, a member of the Lebanese Civil Defense and two paramedics from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee, denouncing what it called a "systematic" Israeli attack on emergency workers.
US denies agreeing to unfreeze Iranian assets
The United States has not agreed to the release of any frozen Iranian assets, a senior U.S. official told CBS News, denying previous media reports. Vice President J.D. Vance held a bilateral meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, but negotiations have not yet begun and no agreements have been discussed. The American delegation includes Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.
Tehran complains about Israeli interference in hindering agreement with US
Iran is blaming Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for attempting to obstruct peace talks with the United States in Islamabad, according to the Iranian news agency Tasmin. Since last night, and immediately following the Iranian delegation's arrival, intensive consultations have been underway, and several rounds of talks have been held with Pakistani officials to ensure the American side honors its commitments. According to Tasmin, some progress has been made, but Israel and Netanyahu continue to obstruct the process and attempt to prevent negotiations and an agreement. From the Iranian delegation's perspective, the US is responsible for this incident, and Iran considers the Zionist regime a partner of the United States and continues to call on Washington to intervene in this matter.
There's a factor that could significantly complicate negotiations between the United States and Iran. It concerns the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial junction through which 20% of the world's oil, a significant portion of liquefied natural gas, and fertilizers pass. Iran has been unable to reopen the Strait to increased maritime traffic because it can't locate all the mines planted in the canal and lacks the capacity to remove them. The New York Times reports this, citing US officials, emphasizing that this is the main reason Tehran has failed to immediately comply with Trump's requests to allow increased vessel transit. This is also a factor that could complicate negotiations.
The US has agreed to the release of Iranian assets in Qatar.
The United States has agreed to unfreeze Iranian assets frozen and held in Qatar and other foreign banks, a senior Iranian source told Reuters online, welcoming the move as a sign of "seriousness" in reaching an agreement with Washington in the Islamabad talks. The United States has not publicly commented on the issue of unfreezing the assets. The source told Reuters that the unfreezing of the assets is "directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz," which is expected to be a key point in the talks.
Iranian delegation brings photos and items of children killed in Minab
The Iranian negotiating delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Islamabad carrying photographs and objects stained with the blood of children killed in Minab "as evidence of American war crimes," according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim on X. Ghalibaf posted a photo on his X account showing himself inside a plane, silently observing photos of four children resting on backpacks placed across a row of seats. Next to each image is a white flower. "My flight companions #Minab168," Ghalibaf wrote, referring to the 168 victims killed in the bombing of the girls' school in Minab, Iran.
In Pakistan, it's the day of negotiations between the US and Iran: diplomats are working towards a truce.
