United States President Donald Trump said the primary objective of upcoming talks with Iran is ensuring that the country does not obtain a nuclear weapon, calling that goal '99 percent' of a good deal. Speaking before negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, Trump said he would evaluate whether further discussions are needed after the initial meeting and emphasized that previous administrations had engaged in years of talks without sufficient progress.

Trump also expressed confidence that the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked amid recent hostilities, would reopen soon with help from other countries. He noted that regime change was not a formal condition of the negotiations.

The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived in Islamabad and said talks would proceed only if Washington met certain preconditions, including a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iranian assets that have been frozen. Ghalibaf claimed both measures had been mutually agreed upon but not yet implemented.

Vice President JD Vance, who is leading the American delegation, said the United States is prepared to negotiate in good faith but warned that Iran would face resistance if it attempted to manipulate the process.