The Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad on Friday for the highly anticipated negotiations with the United States scheduled for Saturday, according to CNN. President Donald Trump warned that he would resume and intensify American strikes if no peace agreement was reached. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called this weekend a “decisive moment,” as reported by the American channel.
“The stakes are significant,” insists The New York Times. “The war, which has been going on for nearly six weeks, has resulted in thousands of deaths, devastated Iran and Lebanon, caused fuel prices to soar, weakened the global economy, and destabilized the Middle East,” highlights the newspaper.
“A resurgence of hostilities could have repercussions for years in the region and impact President Trump’s popularity in the United States as midterm elections approach,” it adds.
Despite the high stakes, tensions were at their peak on Friday, with both sides making intimidating statements and flexing their muscles to “take the upper hand in negotiations,” according to the New York Times.
El País notes that “tension and uncertainty are such that they threaten to derail the discussions even before they begin.” “New tensions emerged Friday between high-ranking American and Iranian officials, casting doubt on the upcoming talks – already shrouded in deep mistrust,” also reported Al-Jazeera.
Upon arrival in Islamabad, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President of the Iranian Parliament and head negotiator of the Iranian delegation, stated that they “remained hopeful but distrusted their American counterparts,” as per CNN.
Trump believes that Iran has no leverage in negotiations. He stated, “We are full of goodwill, but we do not trust.” “Unfortunately, our negotiating experience with Americans always ended in failure and breaches of commitments,” he said.
Before leaving for Pakistan, Ghalibaf reiterated the conditions for the talks, mentioning a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of frozen Iranian assets as prerequisites for negotiations to begin.
The American camp has also adopted a threatening stance. Trump mentioned that the U.S. military was ready to resume strikes immediately if negotiations failed.
“We’re restarting everything. We’re loading the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever built, even better than what we had before when we had already blown everything up,” he declared. “If there is no agreement, we will use them, and we will use them very effectively.”
On Friday morning, Vice President J.D. Vance, the head of the American delegation, attempted to ease tensions as he boarded a plane for Islamabad, expressing optimism. “I think it will be positive,” he told journalists. “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are fully prepared to reach out to them.”
The Wall Street Journal predicts that the statements made on Friday “illustrate the challenges to come for discussions between these long-standing enemies seeking to resolve disputes that have engaged their negotiators for over twenty years.”
“The control of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran adds a new explosive dimension to the talks, which also cover Iran’s nuclear program, missile systems, and support for regional militias,” details the conservative newspaper.
“Nobody really believes that these problems will be solved in Islamabad,” BBC affirms. “Given the fragility of the situation before the negotiations, most people will be happy if the ceasefire can simply survive.”
Le Temps shares a cautious and pessimistic view, calling the talks in Islamabad a “mirage” and implying that they may lead to a more lasting ceasefire for the wrong reasons.
“The upcoming agenda of the American President is incompatible with the continuation of the war,” explained Le Temps, citing various international events in the coming months.
“This is the great danger,” warns the Swiss newspaper. “Donald Trump risks conceding a lot to the Tehran regime, much to the dismay of the Iranian population now exposed to Israeli-American bombings and intensified repression by the Revolutionary Guards.”
