U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media earlier than boarding Air Pressure Two for anticipated departure to Pakistan for talks on Iran, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., April 10, 2026.
Jacquelyn Martin | By way of Reuters
The speaker of Iran‘s parliament warned Friday that scheduled negotiations to finish the conflict with america can’t start until Israel halts assaults on Lebanon and until the U.S. releases Tehran’s frozen belongings.
Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued that ultimatum after an American delegation led by Vice President JD Vance flew to Islamabad, Pakistan, for talks with Iran, which reportedly will embody Ghalibaf and Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Ghalibaf’s circumstances pressure Iran’s already fragile two-week ceasefire with the U.S., which started Tuesday.
“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the events have but to be carried out: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the discharge of Iran’s blocked belongings previous to the graduation of negotiations,” Ghalibaf mentioned in an X put up.
“These two issues should be fulfilled earlier than negotiations start,” he wrote.
In the meantime, President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Iran persevering with to dam most delivery visitors via the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait is the world’s most very important delivery route for oil. Earlier than the conflict, 20% of the world’s crude was shipped via that passage.
Earlier Friday, Vance advised reporters that he thinks the negotiations will likely be “optimistic,” whereas warning Iran to not “play us.”
Along with Vance, the U.S. delegation for the talks contains Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and advisor, in accordance with the White Home.
“We’re trying ahead to the negotiation,” Vance mentioned. “Because the president of america mentioned, if the Iranians are prepared to barter in good religion, we’re actually prepared to increase the open hand.”
“If they are going to attempt to play us, then they are going to discover that the negotiating workforce is just not that receptive,” he added.
“So we’re attempting to have a optimistic negotiation. The president … gave us some fairly clear tips, and we’ll see.”
In an announcement Tuesday night, Trump mentioned that the U.S. would comply with a two-week suspension of hostilities topic to Iran agreeing to an entire and rapid reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
However since then, vessel visitors via the strait stays practically as tightly throttled because it has been because the conflict started on Feb. 28.
In a Fact Social put up on Thursday night, Trump fumed, “There are reviews that Iran is charging charges to tankers going via the Hormuz Strait — They higher not be and, if they’re, they higher cease now!”
Iran “is doing a really poor job, dishonorable some would say, of permitting Oil to undergo the Strait of Hormuz,” the president wrote in a follow-up put up. “That isn’t the settlement we now have!”