SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Six weeks after the United States and Israel launched a war in Iran, delegations from Tehran and Washington, D.C., are in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad to begin negotiations to end the war. Thousands of people have died in the violence, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, and it has damaged, perhaps lastingly, the global economy. NPR's Diaa Hadid is following the talks and joins us now. Diaa, thanks for being with us.
DIAA HADID, BYLINE: You're welcome, Scott.
SIMON: Any developments overnight?
HADID: So far, each delegation has met with the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. Local media reports that the Iranians, who are being led by the Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghaliba, met with Sharif to determine the timing and manner of negotiations. And an Iranian government spokeswoman just told state TV that they're negotiating, quote, "with their finger on the trigger." Now, analysts say, this is a marathon. Here's Kathy Gannon. She's the former Islamabad bureau chief for the Associated Press.
KATHY GANNON: There's not going to be a settlement today, but there might be an agreement to keep talking.
HADID: To keep talking - but already, Scott, there's concern that Pakistan might be drawn into the fighting, and that's because even as Pakistani leaders mediate between the Americans and Iran, the Defense Ministry of Saudi Arabia just announced that a contingent of Pakistani forces have arrived in the kingdom to beef up defenses there. That's because the two countries have a defense pact, and it's one reason why Pakistan has been so keen to negotiate and enter this war. I should add, though, regardless of what happens today, this is already historic. It's the first face-to-face engagement since 2015, and that's when the Obama administration negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran. That deal was upended by Trump.
SIMON: Do we know at this point what either side is demanding or negotiating?
HADID: There are various versions of a 10-point plan that is being distributed. Now, what the Iranians say they want - some of their demands - is the release of $6 billion in frozen assets, an end to attacks. It wants guarantees surrounding its nuclear program. And it's also demanding changes to how shipping happens through the Strait of Hormuz. It appears they want to charge ships for passing through, which is new.
SIMON: And the U.S. is demanding what? Do we know?
HADID: Well, President Trump's demands to end the war - just like his objectives in starting it - have shifted over time, but this is what he told media on Friday.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No nuclear weapon. That's 99% of it.
HADID: Ninety-nine percent of it. He's also warned Iran that he can resume bombing at any time. But what's interesting here, Scott, is people I'm speaking to say the U.S. really doesn't have a strong upper hand. Like, have a listen to the Islamabad-based security analyst Abdullah Khan.
ABDULLAH KHAN: We have never seen America so isolated in its military adventures. Diplomatically, the Americans have lost their clout in the region and in the world. Obviously, there is no match to American military power, but you cannot win the wars with just use of power. I may sound a bit rude, but Americans turn out to be the losers.
HADID: Harsh words. Meanwhile, the Iranian regime has withstood for now the decapitation of much of its leadership, and if anything, analysts say it's even more hard-line now, and they've effectively seized up the global economy by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. And, Scott, I would say, you could get a sense of that equality and how the two sides even arrived to Islamabad.
SIMON: Well, Diaa, tell us about that, if you would.
HADID: So the Iranian delegation arrived last night. They were greeted warmly by Pakistan's most powerful man, the army chief, with kisses on the cheeks. The U.S. delegation was given a similar red-carpet welcome. And it's important to note, Pakistan can do this because it has good relations with Iran, the U.S. - and China is supporting their efforts. But even with all this, talks will be difficult. I mean, they nearly didn't happen at all.
SIMON: What - how so?
HADID: Well, the ceasefire that was announced last Tuesday has been shaky from the get-go over disagreement about whether it includes Lebanon, where there's been fighting between the Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, and Israel. Now, what we're hearing today is that the Lebanese and the Israelis are going to speak directly. So potentially, we have another historic outcome from this 43-day war.
SIMON: NPR's Diaa Hadid in Islamabad. Thank you so much for being with us, Diaa.
HADID: You're welcome, Scott. Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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