(Image source from: AP)

As a fragile truce stays active in the Middle East during a conflict that has now lasted for nine weeks, Iran and the United States are scheduled to engage in a second session of discussions in Pakistan this Saturday. While US President Donald Trump is dispatching representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reports that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will take part for Iran in "bilateral talks. " These negotiations follow the announcement that the Iran-Hezbollah ceasefire has been extended for another three weeks, despite the ongoing war that began after a series of attacks traded between the US, Israel, and Iran on February 28, which shows no sign of concluding soon. This marks the second set of discussions happening in Islamabad, following an unproductive first round on April 11-12. The earlier meetings between the US and Iran did not succeed in Islamabad because of disagreements on three key topics, which include Tehran's highly enriched uranium (HEU) situation and its nuclear future, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the conflict involving Israel in Lebanon. Iran has claimed its right to enrich uranium but has indicated that the degree of enrichment is open to negotiation.

US Vice President JD Vance stated that no progress was achieved during 21 hours of talks with Iran. "Their nuclear program and the enrichment facilities they had earlier have been eliminated. However, we do not observe a willingness to refrain from developing additional nuclear weapons," he added.