Goodwill but no trust: Iran speaker after landing in Pakistan for peace talks with US

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf late on Friday reiterated Tehran's deep distrust of the United States, stating that past negotiations have consistently ended in "failure and breach of promise," even as he signalled that Iran continues to maintain a posture of goodwill.

According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim News Agency, Ghalibaf made the remarks while speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Islamabad, where he is leading a high-level delegation for talks expected to involve the American side. He was responding to recent comments made by US Vice President JD Vance.

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"Our experience of negotiations with the Americans has always been met with failure and breach of promise. They attacked us twice in the middle of the negotiations. We have goodwill but no trust," he said.

Meanwhile, in a poignant gesture, Ghalibaf carried pictures of Minab victims on the official flight.

In a poignant gesture, Ghalibaf also carried pictures of victims from the Minab incident on the official flight to Pakistan. Sharing the moment on X, he wrote, "My companions on this flight."

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As reported by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Iranian delegation comprises representatives from multiple key sectors, including security, political, military, economic, and legal domains, reflecting the broad scope and significance of the proposed discussions.

The high-level delegation includes Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, along with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary of Iran's Defence Council, and Abdolnaser Hemmati, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran. Several members of the Iranian parliament are also part of the visiting team.

However, Tehran still stresses the acceptance of preconditions issued earlier by Galibaf, noting that if the conditions aren't met, then it may lead to the failure of the negotiations, as reported by Press TV

Meanwhile, Speaker of Iran's Parliament, MB Ghalibaf, in a post on X, said that two measures agreed upon between the parties remain unfulfilled, stressing that progress on these issues is essential before any dialogue can take place.

According to Ghalibaf, the ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets are set as the preconditions before negotiations can take place in Islamabad.

"Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations. These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin," Ghalibaf said in his post.

The developments come as the fragile ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran hangs in the balance, with Tehran stating that the truce also includes the halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

The meeting between the two sides is set to take place to end the over-month-long conflict in West Asia and follows an immediate ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran for two weeks.