Video: Pak F-16 jets escort JD Vance to Islamabad for ceasefire talks with Iran

US Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation later today, marking the highest-level direct talks between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ahead of the high-stakes ceasefire talks, the US delegation landed in Islamabad after being escorted by Pakistani F-16 fighter jets.

In Short

• Pakistani F-16s escorted US Vice President's plane into Islamabad
• US to meet Iranian delegation for highest-level talks since 1979
• Iranian team led by Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Araghchi

Ahead of Washington’s crucial ceasefire talks with Tehran in Islamabad, Pakistani F-16 fighter jets were seen escorting a US Air Force Boeing C-32A aircraft carrying US Vice President JD Vance, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff within Pakistani airspace before it landed at Nur Khan Airbase.

Vance is scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation later today, marking the highest-level direct talks between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in a bid to end the six-week war between the two sides.

Leading the high-stakes talks from Iran’s side are Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Parliament Speaker, and Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister.

Despite the talks, mistrust remains evident. Iranian state media cited Ghalibaf as saying, "We have good intentions, but we do not trust. Our experience of negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises."

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged both sides to "engage constructively." He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to facilitating dialogue aimed at achieving a lasting resolution to the conflict.

Earlier, the US and Iran had disagreements over the terms of negotiation. The Trump administration proposed a 15-point framework demanding that Iran surrender its highly enriched uranium and accept military restrictions.

Meanwhile, Iran presented a 10-point plan seeking reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. It also included the right to continue its nuclear programme and enrich uranium, albeit with some limits -- completely at odds with the US demands.

Separately, Lebanon and Israel prepare for talks next week, following a brief lull that eased tensions after heavy strikes threatened to derail the US-Iran negotiations.

- Ends