War in the Middle East: Talks planned in Islamabad, deaths in southern Lebanon… What to remember from Friday, April 24th

Iranian and American negotiators have been sent to Pakistan, two weeks after a previous attempt failed.

Published on: April 24, 2026, 23:51

Reading Time: 2min

The Pakistani Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, and the army chief, Syed Asim Munir, accompanied the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, upon their arrival at Nur Khan base near Islamabad (Pakistan) on April 24, 2026. (PAKISTAN’S PRESS INFORMATION DEP / AFP)

Talks between the United States and Iran to end the war are in sight. On Friday, April 24, negotiators from both sides were sent to Islamabad, without the guarantee of direct discussions, two weeks after a previous unsuccessful attempt. Franceinfo provides an overview of the key information from that day.

Talks are planned in Islamabad

Is a resumption of peace negotiations on the horizon? Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Islamabad on Friday evening for negotiations between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, announced the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, without directly mentioning the resumption of direct discussions with American envoys.

On the American side, “I confirm that special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will depart again for Pakistan [Saturday] morning for talks (…) with representatives of the Iranian delegation,” stated White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt. She specified that Vice President JD Vance is not expected to be on the trip this time but could join them later if progress is made.

Israeli strikes kill six in Lebanon

On the Lebanese front, the ceasefire, extended for three weeks by Donald Trump on Thursday evening, faces a tough test. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of “sabotaging” peace efforts: “We have initiated a process to achieve a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon, and it is clear to us that Hezbollah is trying to sabotage it,” he affirmed. Lebanese authorities “must (…) withdraw from the so-called direct negotiations” with the Israelis, noted Mohammad Raad, the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc leader.

In southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes killed six and “injured two others,” according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The Israeli army, on the other hand, stated that its soldiers had killed six Hezbollah members in exchanges of fire after the pro-Iranian movement shot down one of their drones.

EU calls for immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

Amid a lack of real leverage in the Middle East war, Europeans tried to push for de-escalation on Friday, hosting the presidents of Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, and the Jordanian crown prince in Cyprus.

The meeting first aimed to reaffirm their “unwavering support for Lebanon and its sovereignty,” said European Council President Antonio Costa. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun highlighted the significant humanitarian and economic challenges facing his country, which had not yet “recovered from successive crises” when this new war broke out.

Antonio Costa also called for Iran to immediately and “without delay” reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “This is vital for the whole world,” he emphasized.