Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance, who are leading their countries’ high-level delegations at the ongoing negotiations in Islamabad, shook hands during the direct talks in the Pakistani capital.
The New York Times reported about the handshake, citing two official Iranian sources who described the meeting as “warm and relaxed."
Meanwhile, Iran’s Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that the third round of talks between Iran and the United States had concluded in Islamabad. According to the report, major differences between the two sides remain.
A senior White House official told American media outlets that the talks with Iran are still ongoing, even though Iran announced the conclusion of the third round.
“The talks have now been running for 15 hours - and the clock is still ticking," the official said. However, it appears that only a few technical staff members from both delegations are continuing the discussions.
At the same time, a source in the Persian Gulf told CNN that senior IRGC officials landed at Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base, located outside Islamabad.
The source noted that these officials belong to the IRGC’s Air Force, Navy, and Quds Force, and had arrived in Pakistan to advise the Iranian delegation in the negotiations with the United States.