US-Iran Peace Talks Begin

The Pakistani capital of Islamabad has transformed into a high-security fortress as it prepares to host the first direct diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran since the outbreak of the Iran war.

Vice President JD Vance, a known skeptic of foreign military intervention, has been tasked by President Trump to secure a lasting resolution to the conflict.

The talks face immediate hurdles, including Iranian demands for a cessation of Israeli strikes in Lebanon and American insistence on the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Success in these negotiations is viewed as critical for stabilizing global energy markets and preventing a wider regional conflagration.