The Albany Gazette - Iranian delegation in Pakistan for talks with US, Vance on his way

US Vice President JD Vance warned Iran meanwhile not to try to "play" Washington as he headed to Islamabad to represent the United States.

Despite the temporary truce struck between the foes, deep disagreements remain as to the way forward in talks aimed at transforming the fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace deal.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said making progress would be hard work.

"A temporary ceasefire has been announced, but now an even more difficult stage lies ahead: the stage of achieving a lasting ceasefire, of resolving complicated issues through negotiations," he said. "This is that stage which, in English, is called the equivalent of 'make or break.'"

Iranian state television said the delegation was led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and reiterated Iran's position that talks would only begin if Washington accepts its preconditions -- a Lebanon ceasefire and the unfreezing of Iran's assets.

Israel continued to carry out air strikes in Lebanon on Friday and Lebanon's State Security agency said an attack on the southern city of Nabatiyeh had killed 13 of its personnel.

Lebanon's health ministry meanwhile raised the provisional death toll from massive Israeli strikes across the country on Wednesday to 357 dead and 1,223 wounded.

Lebanon's presidency said a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israeli war against Iran-backed Hezbollah and the potential start of negotiations between the neighbours.

- 'Open hand' -

Vance, speaking to reporters before taking off for Islamabad, said "if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand."

But "if they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive," he said.

Official sources say the talks in Islamabad will cover several sensitive points, including Iran's nuclear enrichment and the free flow of trade through the crucial oil conduit, the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the ceasefire took effect, President Donald Trump has voiced displeasure at Iran's handling of the strait, which was meant to be reopened, while Tehran has reacted angrily to the continuing Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Trump posted on his Truth Social network on Friday that Iran has "no cards" in the talks "other than a short-term extortion of the World by using International Waterways."

In Islamabad, all routes leading to the Serena Hotel, the expected venue for the talks, were blocked off with heavy security, while a large banner and digital signs along the expressway heralded the "Islamabad Talks."

- 'Pure noise' -

One 30-year-old resident of Tehran told AFP he was skeptical negotiations would be successful, describing most of what Trump says as "pure noise and nonsense."

"He wants to manipulate the Islamic republic into getting a deal. I think that was his intention, if you can say there is an intention."

A fifth of the world's oil and vast quantities of natural gas and fertilizer pass through the Strait of Hormuz in peacetime, but only a small number of vessels have crossed since the truce was announced earlier this week.

The two-week ceasefire was agreed to allow time for negotiations aimed at ending a conflict that has already killed thousands and plunged the global economy into turmoil.

"I am scared of the war starting again, and at the same time I'm scared of the regime staying," Tehran resident Sheida told AFP, withholding her last name out of concern for her safety.

As Israel continued to carry out air strikes in Lebanon, the Israeli military said Hezbollah had fired around 30 projectiles from Lebanon into its territory on Friday.

Hezbollah said it had targeted Israel's Ashdod naval base with missiles "in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire and its repeated attacks on Beirut."

Trump told NBC News on Thursday that Israel was "scaling back" strikes in Lebanon and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had assured him its attacks would become more "low-key."

A Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity that there was ongoing "pressure from European states, Gulf states and Egypt on Israel to prevent renewed Israeli airstrikes on Beirut after 'Black Wednesday.'"

burs/cl/md

(D.Lewis--TAG)