US-Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad begin amid tense standoff

Islamabad, Pakistan – High-stakes diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran launched in Islamabad under unprecedented security measures, marking the first direct engagement at the highest levels between these rivals on Pakistani soil. The negotiations, framed around the possibility of a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iranian assets tied up by longstanding US sanctions, unfolded over 21 hours of intricate back-and-forth exchanges. The Pakistani capital woke Saturday to a cit