US-Iran direct talks hours away: first since strikes began 6 weeks ago

The Iranian delegation, headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, landed in Islamabad early on Saturday for what will be the first direct negotiations since the war began more than five weeks ago.Deep mistrust continues to overshadow the talks aimed at reinforcing a fragile two-week ceasefire and ending hostilities.Upon arrival, Ghalibaf said Tehran came with “goodwill”, but stressed its lack of trust in the US, citing what he described as betrayals during previous negotiations and “broken promises”, according to the Tasnim News Agency.“Twice within less than a year, in the middle of negotiations, and despite the Iranian side’s good faith, they attacked us and committed numerous war crimes,” he said.He said Iran was prepared to accept a genuine agreement that secured its rights, but would rely on its own capabilities if the US acted deceitfully.