Will April 11 peace talks fail? Iran sets terms before meeting US

Iran has laid down conditions for ceasefire talks with the United States, stating that a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of its seized assets must be completed before negotiations can begin.

In a post on X, Iran's Parliamentary speaker MB Ghalibaf said, "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.

The statement by Iran's parliamentary speaker comes as a major obstacle for high-level peace talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has issued fresh threats to Iran on Friday.

“We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made, even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart,” he said.

Earlier today, US Vice President JD Vance departed for Pakistan to participate in talks with Iran. Addressing reporters before departure, Vance expressed hope that a deal would be made.

"We're looking forward to the negotiation. I think it's going to be positive. As the president of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," he said.

However, he cautioned that "If they're (Iran) going to try to play us, then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive."

The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning, local time.

Will April 11 peace talks fail?

It is still unclear whether Iran will attend the peace talks if the United States does not agree to its demands. As of late Friday, the high-level US-Iran peace talks remain scheduled to begin Saturday in slamabad's Serena Hotel, despite deep tensions and conflicting preconditions set by both sides.

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 US and Iran for two weeks. The temporary two-week ceasefire was agreed upon on April 8.

US-Israel vs Iran war

The war between the US and Israel and Iran started after the US and Israel launched a joint surprise airstrike on February 28, reportedly killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials.

How Lebanon entered the US-Israel vs Iran war

Hezbollah entered the conflict by launching missiles and drones toward Israel, targeting military sites, including a missile defense installation south of Haifa. Israel responded with intensified airstrikes across Lebanon, including Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Lebanon’s government distanced itself from Hezbollah’s actions. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called the strikes “irresponsible,” saying they were carried out without state approval.