US and Iran hold direct talks in Pakistan aimed at ending the war — BBC News

[0:00] United States and Iran have been holding face-to-face negotiations here in Pakistan. [0:07] They are the first, the highest level talks between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic [0:15] Revolution. And given the importance of this diplomacy, the world's media are waiting for [0:21] news of any developments. We have so far limited information about how those talks are going. What [0:28] is significant is that they are continuing. But we do know that there are key sticking points [0:36] to talk about. One of them is that ceasefire in Lebanon which is missing and was meant to be part [0:43] of this ceasefire which had stopped attacks against Iran. Well my colleague Lucy Hawkins later in this [0:51] program will take a closer look at what is happening on that front. But let's start here. [1:00] So let's start here in Islamabad. It's been our top news all day on the BBC and it's making headlines [1:10] right around the world. These first face-to-face talks between a delegation from the United States [1:17] and Iran in the presence of Pakistani mediators. The goal is to try to bring an end to this war now in [1:26] its six weeks. But there are other broader points of understanding of the differences and [1:34] and divides between the United States [1:38] and Israel that the both sides have been trying to resolve for many years. But we still don't know [1:46] if they've been able to make any progress on closing those gaps. What we do know [1:50] is that technical teams have joined the delegation and that is a sign of very serious engagements. [1:57] As we've been saying throughout the day it's very frustrating for the journalists perhaps good for [2:03] the negotiators very little information is getting out very few photographs and images but when the day [2:08] began we did receive both photographs as well as films of the individual meetings between the sides. [2:15] So the U.S. delegation led by the Vice President J.D. Vance had their own talks bilateral talks with the [2:23] Pakistani mediators including the Pakistani Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif and to the Iranian delegation led [2:33] by the parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagar Ghalibhaf had his own discussions accompanied by the members of [2:40] his team with the senior Pakistani military and political officials. But let's look in detail now [2:49] at some of the sticking points that are likely to stand in the way of any real progress in resolving [2:57] the differences that have been fueling this war and could it must be emphasized trigger another escalation [3:05] in this all too dangerous war. Top of the list is now a new problem that has been put on the agenda by the war [3:13] and that is what will happen to the Strait of Hormuz that key waterway for the world's oil and gas traffic [3:22] but it has been mainly blocked by Iran though only those tankers and vessels approved by Iran have been [3:29] getting through and it's a very very small number compared to the traffic before the war. The U.S. wants [3:36] safe passage to be resumed but Iran is very adamant that it will not go back to the situation before [3:44] the war. It wants to retain some kind of control over what is now its key leverage and a bargaining chip [3:51] in this crisis. Another key point will be Iran's nuclear capabilities. The regime insists it's never [4:00] tried to develop a bomb but Iran has enriched uranium far beyond what it might need for a civil program. The [4:07] U.S. wants Iran to hand over what it has. And a ceasefire in Lebanon which so far hasn't happened. The [4:15] U.S. and Israel have indicated that Lebanon doesn't form part of the ceasefire deal but Pakistan a key [4:22] mediator in this talks has said that it does. Well let's get a summary of what has been the most [4:28] significant developments in the day. We can go to the convention center close to the venue of the talks [4:34] and speak to Kastroenaji, special correspondent for the BBC's Persian service. Kastroenaji what's your [4:41] assessment so far of the talks today? I think it has been much better than expected actually by my [4:52] reckoning they have been talking to each other the two sides directly and in the same room [4:59] for more than four hours. We know that they talked about roughly about two hours and then they took a [5:06] break about 45 minutes and then they came back and they started having more discussions while they having [5:14] dinner. It was a sort of a working dinner that they engaged in and that went on for about an hour and so [5:24] far as I know at this moment now the talks are still there but the two sides are exchanging documents. [5:35] What these documents are all about we have absolutely no idea what they have been talking about and what [5:42] these documents entail. But we're getting reports that on the issue of control of the Strait of Hormuz [5:52] there's been an impasse. The fact is that well the reports are saying that Iran is insisting that it [6:02] will have the sole control over this very important waterway and and they have rejected a joint operation [6:12] or joint control by the United States. So that's that's the sticking point that's the first one and [6:19] that relates directly to the issue of the ceasefire. So we're still in the very early stages we're still [6:29] talking about whether we can hold on to this ceasefire. We know that in the last hour or so CENTCOM which is [6:37] which is the American forces in the region they saying that two ships military ships passed through [6:47] the Strait of Hormuz today into the Sea of Oman and CENTCOM says that they will do more of that [6:54] in the days to come and they want to sort of clear mines from this waterway and also [7:00] the clear what they call on the sea drones there. Kastranaji a special correspondent for BBC Persian [7:12] thank you very much for joining us. And welcome everyone to Doha we're going to take a closer look [7:21] now one of those sticking points that's been raised Lebanon let's take you through some of the details [7:27] of what's been happening there strikes in the country putting a real strain on this U.S. Iran ceasefire. [7:32] The two sides have agreed to meet for talks in Washington on Tuesday but Israel and the Iranian [7:38] backed militant group Hezbollah have continued to trade fire since the ceasefire was announced. [7:44] Today Israel saying it struck 200 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in 24 hours. The Lebanese health ministry [7:50] says more than 2,000 people have been killed there through the course of the war and 300 more [8:00] more than 350 killed on Wednesday alone. Well Lebanon's deputy prime minister has told the BBC [8:05] that strikes on his country need to stop ahead of those talks on Tuesday. I think for those meetings [8:12] to be meaningful we've got to to see some sort of cessation of hostilities no matter if provisional [8:24] how could you engage in meaningful discussions preparing true negotiations to talk about all issues [8:36] how can you do that while while tens and hundreds of of of people are being killed or injured. The [8:48] humanitarian situation in Lebanon is desperate as well and it's getting worse by the hour as Hugo [8:56] Butchega reports from Beirut. In Lebanon the war continues and there have been more Israeli [9:01] airstrikes particularly in the south of the country and also more attacks from Hezbollah targeting [9:09] northern Israel and this is a country still healing after one of its deadliest days in its recent history [9:16] after those massive Israeli airstrikes and people here are desperate for some respite and this is just one [9:23] of the consequences of the conflict here in Lebanon this is Beirut's waterfront which is now home to [9:30] hundreds of families who have been forced to flee their homes because of the war and these people have [9:36] mainly come from Shia communities so there is a sectarian component to the crisis happening here [9:42] they've come from Dahir in southern Beirut also southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekar valley areas that [9:49] have been heavily targeted by the Israeli military and these are areas where Hezbollah enjoys significant [9:56] support more than a million people have been displaced because of this conflict this means a fifth of [10:02] the population and aid agencies are warning of the devastating consequences of the crisis here so for [10:09] Lebanon there is no end to the war and to the suffering of its people let's take you straight [10:16] to Jerusalem now we can join our correspondent there Joel Gunter Joel talks taking place next [10:21] week in Washington between the Lebanese government and Israel what do we know about those yeah we [10:30] understand that those talks are due to take place uh face to face next Tuesday in Washington but we do [10:36] still have what appears to be a clear impasse between the two sides on what those talks are supposed to [10:42] cover we've heard from Lebanese officials that they're saying they expect to be discussing a ceasefire [10:47] between Israel and Hezbollah we've heard from Israeli officials that they are adamant that they are not [10:54] pursuing a ceasefire with Hezbollah now uh you know as you were mentioning Israel has underscored that by [11:01] continuing to strike across the country something that Lebanese officials do not see as a good foundation [11:08] for talks it's a tricky situation for the prime minister here Benjamin Netanyahu because the [11:14] situation with Lebanon has threatened to undermine the fragile ceasefire process between the US and Iran [11:22] and Prime Minister Netanyahu may find himself under increasing pressure from the US it's no secret [11:29] that President Trump is seeking a quick exit from this unpopular war and he may be putting more [11:35] pressure on Israel now that may simply be more scaling back of uh Israel's campaign in Lebanon which [11:42] we've seen over the past couple of days but certainly the Israelis may find themselves under pressure for [11:48] a more permanent resolution in Lebanon Joel thank you so much well these talks do feel like a very [11:57] important a hugely significant moment of this war and it really is a moment that was hard to comprehend [12:03] a week ago many of you have got questions that you've been searching for online so let's bring [12:08] Lise back in to try and answer a few of those Lise one of the questions we've had is one person asking and [12:15] saying is this a negotiation or extortion that's a very interesting way to put it Lucy of course there's [12:24] always bargaining going back and forth uh compromises that have to be made during a negotiation both sides [12:32] do ask for sometimes uh finance on financial issues on territorial issues perhaps it could be seen as [12:39] extortion in a very crude and harsh way uh but no it is negotiations and perhaps the the questioner is [12:46] looking at the fact that Iran is asking for its assets to be unfrozen well that money belongs to the [12:52] Islamic Republic of Iran it was frozen at some point in in recent years some of it goes back to the Islamic [12:58] revolution of 1979 so Iran regards that as illegal and therefore when that money has been released [13:05] and it was during President Obama's time during President Biden's time and now possibly now during [13:11] President Trump's time is that they are releasing assets which do belong to the government and you [13:17] could say to the people of Iran and very briefly Lise what do you think success looks like in these talks [13:27] because here in the Gulf the feeling is success would be just a continuation of the ceasefire [13:35] even that would be important Lucy there's no way they're going to resolve all the issues they've met [13:39] which is important if they agree to extend the ceasefire if they agree to meet again if they even [13:45] agree on a framework for further discussions all of that has to be seen as a win