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A man stands near a damaged building following an Israeli strike on Wednesday in Tallet El Khayat, Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026. — Reuters/File
- U.S. Vice President Vance warns Iran not to “play” the U.S. during Pakistan talks.
- Israeli airstrikes persist across southern Lebanon on Friday.
- Negotiations won’t commence until the U.S. meets prior demands, according to Iran.
Iran announced on Friday that the release of blocked Iranian assets and a ceasefire in Lebanon are prerequisites before peace talks can proceed, casting doubt over the scheduled negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday. Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated on X that these two issues had been previously agreed upon with the U.S. and warned that talks would not begin until they are addressed. The White House has not issued an immediate comment.
Earlier, Vice President JD Vance, leading the U.S. delegation, traveled to Pakistan expressing optimism about a positive resolution. However, he cautioned that any attempt to manipulate the process would be met with resistance from the negotiation team. Iran has been blocked from accessing tens of billions of dollars in foreign bank accounts, mainly from oil and gas exports, due to U.S. sanctions targeting its banking and energy sectors.
Tense Ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump declared a two-week ceasefire in the six-week conflict on Tuesday, just days before a deadline after which he had threatened to destroy Iran’s civilization. The truce remains fragile, with Israel continuing its bombardment of Lebanon and ongoing restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, which have caused the most significant disruption to global energy supplies in history. The ceasefire halted U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran but has failed to resolve the blockade of the Strait or stop Israel’s parallel conflict with Iran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.
President Trump criticized Iran via social media for its handling of oil transit through the Strait, accusing Tehran of mismanaging the flow and warning against attempts to collect crossing fees. Israel has maintained that its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon is separate from the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli airstrikes persisted in southern Lebanon on Friday, reportedly killing over a dozen individuals in various towns. Lebanese state media reported that eight members of the country’s security forces lost their lives in one such strike.
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