US–Iran talks enter CRITICAL phase, strait of Hormuz dispute dominates Islamabad negotiations

[0:00] The trilateral talks between the US, Iran and Pakistan are stretching late into the night in [0:06] the capital Islamabad. Negotiations now entering a third stage. The Strait of Hormuz remains among [0:14] the main sticking points. Iran's state media reports the current round is the last opportunity [0:21] to reach a framework. Well, ahead of the talks, Tehran set preconditions, including the release [0:27] of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, and an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. [0:35] They're also demanding control of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran's delegation is led by Speaker [0:40] of Parliament, Mohamed Bagh al-Qaribaf, and Foreign Minister, Abbas Arakji. [0:46] The talks in Islamabad are the highest level negotiations between Washington and Tehran [0:52] since Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979. Vice President J.D. Vance is leading [0:58] the US team. Washington wants the Strait of Hormuz to be fully opened without limitation. [1:04] Before the negotiations, the US said it's open to significant sanctions relief, but only [1:11] in exchange for Iranian concessions on nuclear development. These negotiations come after [1:18] Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran six weeks ago. More than 3,000 Iranians have [1:24] been killed and at least 26,500 people injured since the start of the war. Israeli and American [1:33] attacks have also struck multiple civilian facilities, including hospitals, universities and schools. [1:40] And the conflict also had widespread effects across the world. [1:45] Al Jazeera's Osama bin Javed is in the Pakistani capital near the venue of the talks. [1:49] Osama, we're hearing that talks have now entered a critical phase. What does that mean? [2:00] Well, we'll have to wait and see when these talks actually end to see what that critical phase is. [2:07] What we can tell you is that these talks have entered the eighth hour. [2:12] This is probably the longest negotiation that has been spearheaded by the US vice president, [2:19] who is leading the American side, and Bakr Galibaf, who is leading the Iranian side. [2:24] As you mentioned, there are a number of issues which are at play. The Iranians, before arriving [2:29] here, said the assets need to be unfrozen and they need to be a mechanism, a setup to ensure [2:38] that Iran will be able to carry on with its activities when it comes to the various issues [2:46] that they've been asking for. So what we're hearing from the Pakistani side is that they're [2:50] still pushing for more flexibility from both sides. There has been progress, according to [2:57] the sources who we've been speaking to in the room. In the last few hours, there are multiple [3:01] planes which have landed in Pakistan coming from Iran. It is still unclear who are the passengers [3:07] on those planes. There's a lot of speculation about who could possibly be there. We've heard [3:13] from the US media that there is going to be multiple avenues. There's going to be talks [3:19] about the security issues. There's going to be diplomacy at play and obviously economy. [3:25] And one other issue there, which has been reported from Washington, is the release of prisoners. [3:31] So we're hearing that there are confidence-building measures that the Pakistanis are trying to build [3:37] on. As you mentioned, this is the third round, a critical phase, as sources are telling us. [3:42] But there seems to be a lack of flexibility, especially coming from the Iranian sources, [3:47] from the American side. That's what the Iranian sources are saying, that they're willing to [3:52] budge on a few things. But the demands that they're hearing, especially on the Strait of Hormuz, [3:57] are maximalist. And that is where we are. The state of play is that after all of this, [4:03] what you do not want to see is a return to escalation. And the Pakistani sources are quite hopeful [4:09] that this is going to result in something. What that looks like, would that be an extension of the [4:16] ceasefire, an extension of the free movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, or something [4:21] more substantive about the nuclear program still remains to be seen. I was speaking to a diplomat [4:26] just a few hours ago, and they told me that the best of diplomacy is run behind closed doors. [4:32] And if diplomacy is done on headlines, well, it is very unlikely to succeed. [4:37] Osama, what is the bottom line here? Are these talks going into a second day? I think our [4:42] correspondent earlier confirmed from the Iranian side that's what they're planning. Any confirmation [4:48] from the U.S. side? And will the full U.S. delegation be sticking around? [4:53] Well, it is a wait-and-see game. We've heard from the Iranian side that they are going to be spending [5:04] the night here in Islamabad. We've heard from Pakistani sources that there is going to be a [5:09] continuation of these talks, especially on the experts and delegate level going forward after [5:16] today. How long would that be? Which format will that take is still unclear. But what we have seen is [5:23] a historic development where after 1979, this is the first time after multiple rounds, whether it was [5:30] Geneva or Vienna or Oman or Abu Dhabi, they have been finally able to break the ice and sit in front [5:37] of each other. What Iranian sources are telling us that it is a different set of players in the [5:43] equation, whether it's the IRGC or the supreme leader. And they are now hoping that there's some [5:50] room to manoeuvre. What will that actually look like? It is a wait-and-see game. After eight [5:55] hours, there's drip-drip information that is coming out from sources, but anything substantive, [6:00] because it's so speculative and sensitive. And there's a gag order on Pakistani politicians to [6:05] speak about anything, so there is no shadow that is cast by the hosts. So we'll have to wait and see. [6:11] And we're expecting that there could be a news conference from the Serena Hotel where these [6:16] talks are still ongoing. That's Osama bin Javed reporting to us from Islamabad, where those talks [6:22] are happening.