US President Donald Trump is sending his Iran negotiating team, led by Vice President JD Vance, to Pakistan for talks, the White House told reporters on Wednesday, adding that the first round of talks will take place on Saturday.
As many of Iran’s political leaders have been killed in the conflict, the Iranian delegation is expected to be led by Speaker of the parliament and former commander of the Revolutionary Guards Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
The confirmation of the talks came after the easing of the agreement between the United States and Iran raised fears that the war was continuing across the region, as Israel launched its largest offensive in Lebanon, and Iran attacked the oil facilities of its Gulf neighbors.
Global financial markets rose after Trump announced the deal late on Tuesday, two hours before a deadline he had set for Iran to open the blockaded Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its “entire civilization”.
But as Israel and the United States eased their attack on Iran, Israel escalated its parallel war with Iran alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon, launching its heaviest offensive, sending plumes of smoke over Beirut as buildings collapsed.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire does not include Hezbollah and that Israel will “continue to hit them.”
Netanyahu said that Israel has achieved many of its goals in the war with Iran, but still needs to achieve others. He said those could be achieved through a US-Iran deal or by resuming the military campaign, stressing that Israel has its “finger on the trigger” and is ready to return to fighting at any time.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed source as warning that Iran would withdraw from the ceasefire if the attack on Lebanon continued.
Lebanon’s civil defense said 254 people were killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday. The highest number was in the capital Beirut, where Israeli strikes killed 91 people. Residents say some of the Israeli strikes have come without the usual warnings for residents to evacuate.
Despite concerns about the strength of the ceasefire, Brent crude, an international benchmark for oil prices that has risen by more than 50 percent since the war began, was down about 14 percent on the day, at US $ 95.20 a barrel on Wednesday.
US stocks jumped to a one-month high, joining a global relief rally.
