Apr 10, 2026 12:32 pm IST

Opinion | Islamabad Talks: Iran Seems To Have Figured Out A Crucial Thing About Trump

Why Iran waits out every 'threat' by the US - no matter how grave.

Manoj Joshi Manoj Joshi Columnist

Manoj Joshi Columnist

The US and Iran agree that there is a ceasefire now on. But they have different takes on its terms and what they have actually agreed to. Hopefully, those differences will be sorted out by the time the two sides meet at the negotiating table in Islamabad on Friday. But there is no real guarantee that that will, indeed, happen.

While the US has gone ahead with preparations for a delegation led by Vice President JD Vance to reach Islamabad, Iran has made it clear that its team, composed of Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi, will not participate in talks if the Lebanon issue is not sorted out.

The intensification of the Israeli bombing of Lebanon has emerged as a major issue. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's statement announcing the ceasefire had made it clear that Lebanon was very much part of the deal. But the Israelis refused, and after a Netanyahu phone call to Trump, the latter changed tack and accepted that the war in Lebanon was a "separate skirmish", giving a green light to Israel. For his part, the chief US negotiator, Vice President JD Vance, says that the Israelis have agreed not to attack Lebanon during the duration of the talks. Under US pressure, Netanyahu has said Israel will negotiate with Lebanon, but not observe a ceasefire.

In a tweet, Araghchi said that the terms of the ceasefire, as outlined by Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif, were clear and included Lebanon. He said the........

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