Iran Sets Conditions for US Talks, Demands Lebanon Ceasefire and Asset Release

ISLAMABAD: Iran has made clear that upcoming negotiations with the United States will not proceed unless key preconditions are met, including a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of its frozen assets.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said these requirements must be fulfilled before any formal talks can begin, ahead of a scheduled meeting between Tehran and Washington in Islamabad.

“A ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets are essential. These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” Qalibaf said in a post on X on Friday.

The talks, expected to take place on Saturday, follow a tentative agreement earlier this week on a Pakistan-mediated two-week ceasefire between the two sides, based on a 10-point proposal put forward by Iran.

However, Qalibaf noted that despite the agreement, key measures have yet to be implemented, raising uncertainty over whether discussions will proceed as planned.

According to a senior security source cited by Iranian media, Tehran had exerted significant pressure, including threats to withdraw from the talks, to push for a halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon, particularly in Beirut.

The source said Iran considers the unity of its regional allies non-negotiable and insisted that ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon had delayed the dispatch of its delegation to Islamabad.

Recent Israeli strikes across Lebanon have reportedly resulted in heavy casualties, with hundreds killed and more than a thousand injured. Israel has maintained that its operations in Lebanon are separate from the ceasefire arrangement linked to Iran.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has positioned itself as a key mediator in the الأزمة, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stating earlier that all parties had agreed to an “immediate ceasefire everywhere,” including Lebanon.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Majid Takht Ravanchi, confirmed that any negotiations would be grounded in Tehran’s 10-point ceasefire framework, describing Iran’s approach as “responsible” and structured.

The situation remains fluid as diplomatic efforts continue, with the success of the Islamabad talks hinging on whether the stated conditions are met in time.