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US and Iran hold direct talks in Pakistan to end war
April 11, 2026
Middle East Eye
US and Iran hold direct talks in Pakistan to end war Senior US and Iranian officials met on Saturday in the Pakistani capital for the highest-level talks between Washington and Tehran in 50 years, as they sought to bring an end to the six-week war. The two-hour meeting brought together US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Pakistan's army chief was also present. The negotiations - the first since the 1979 Islamic Revolution - began behind closed doors before the delegations broke for a pause. As the talks progressed, conflicting accounts emerged about what had been agreed. A US official told Axios that several US Navy ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, whose blockade by Iran has caused the biggest-ever disruption to global energy supplies. But Iranian state TV and a Pakistani source denied that any US vessel had passed through the waterway. Read more: US and Iran hold direct talks in Pakistan to end war
Middle East Eye
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