Islamabad Negotiations Enter a Critical Phase—U.S. and Iran Shift from Political Consultations to Expert-Level Technical Game

As of April 12, U.S. and Iran negotiations in Pakistan's capital Islamabad have entered their second day. According to CCTV News, the Iranian and American delegations have concluded a round of talks, and a new round may be held on the 12th. Currently, expert teams from both sides are exchanging negotiation texts. A Pakistani Foreign Ministry source confirmed that relevant agencies are making necessary arrangements for the upcoming negotiations. This indicates that the highly watched negotiations have progressed from initial diplomatic political consultations to a more substantive stage of technical detail bargaining.

1. Negotiation Agenda: From Face-to-Face to Expert Consultations

According to Iranian sources, the first round of talks held on April 11 at Serena Hotel in Islamabad involved separate negotiations between the Pakistani side and each delegation, followed by a tripartite "face-to-face" negotiation. This is the highest-level face-to-face negotiation between the U.S. and Iran since 1979. After the first round, both sides immediately moved into expert-level technical consultations, exchanging negotiation texts. According to publicly available process information, members of professional committees in Iran’s delegation, such as economics and legal experts, have joined the talks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated on the 10th that the negotiations in Pakistan are "progressing smoothly," but if no agreement is reached, Iran may withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Before the negotiations began, Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei issued a written statement with three points: aggressors must compensate for damages; management of the Strait of Hormuz will enter a new phase; Iran will never abandon its legitimate rights and considers all regional "resistance fronts" as a whole.

2. U.S. Position: Nuclear Weapons Issue Dominates "99%"

Former President Trump set a clear tone for the U.S. negotiating stance. Trump explicitly stated that if Iran agrees to abandon nuclear weapons development, it would mark success for these peace talks, "We will never allow Iran to have nuclear weapons, which accounts for 99% of the agreement content." Trump also said he was "not sure" about the specific progress of the U.S.-Iran talks on that day but confirmed that negotiations had begun. When asked whether Iran was negotiating in good faith, he replied, "I will tell you very soon, not too long."

Trump also issued a warning, stating that if negotiations fail, the U.S. is prepared to "restart" military actions. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on the 10th, as negotiations began, U.S. military aircraft and troops continued to be deployed to the Middle East, with several fighter jets and attack aircraft arriving. It is expected that 1,500 to 2,000 soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division will arrive in the coming days to prepare for possible military operations.

3. Iran’s Demands: Asset Unfreezing and Lebanon Ceasefire

According to Iran’s Islamic Republic Broadcasting on the 11th, Iran’s negotiating team held closed-door talks with Pakistani officials in Islamabad. Iran emphasized two core demands: unfreezing overseas assets and achieving a "genuine ceasefire" in Lebanon. This stance aligns with Iran’s previous insistence that "Lebanese ceasefire is a precondition for negotiations."

Iran also stressed that the ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iran’s frozen assets must be "completed before negotiations begin." Iran’s Parliament Speaker Larijani previously stated that three clauses of Iran’s "Ten-Point Plan" (including Lebanon ceasefire, prohibition of violations of Iranian airspace, and acceptance of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities) had already been violated before negotiations started.

4. The Only Obstacle in Optimistic Mood

According to IRNA, the Islamic Republic News Agency, a reporter from *New Arab* in Islamabad noted that both sides are generally optimistic about the potential success of U.S.-Iran negotiations, and both seem genuinely eager to find a solution. However, the only obstacle is Washington’s continued prioritization of Israel’s interests.

This highlights the core contradiction in the negotiations: the U.S. focuses more on Iran’s nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz navigation, while Iran incorporates Lebanon’s ceasefire and the overall interests of the "Resistance Axis" in the region. Additionally, Israel reportedly demands an end to Iran’s nuclear program and seeks to separate the Lebanon conflict from the broader Iranian front. This structural misalignment of interests means that even if both sides sit at the same negotiating table, their "agenda lists" may not be aligned.

5. Negotiation Window: Two-Week Countdown

This ceasefire window is only two weeks, and negotiations are already into their second day. As of April 12, the ceasefire has entered its fifth day, but fighting continues in Lebanon, and the Strait of Hormuz remains far from normal traffic. Every hour of delay in negotiations could be interrupted by battlefield fire.

This Islamabad negotiation is the highest-level face-to-face meeting between the U.S. and Iran since 1979. Behind the "generally optimistic" statements, multiple bargaining points—nuclear issues, strait control, Lebanon ceasefire, and asset unfreezing—are just beginning. Trump’s 24-hour prediction has passed, but negotiations are ongoing— for the world, the wait for answers is longer than Trump initially promised.