The Iranian regime is once again proving exactly why Americans, and the world, cannot trust a word coming out of Tehran.
Just hours before high-stakes peace negotiations with the United States were set to begin in Pakistan, Iran abruptly issued a list of demands, threatening to derail the entire process before it even starts.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf took to X and delivered a blatant ultimatum: the United States must release billions in frozen Iranian assets, and a full ceasefire must take hold in Lebanon before any talks can proceed.
Ghalibaf wrote on X:
“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations. These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.”
Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations.
These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 10, 2026
The talks in Islamabad were supposed to build on the fragile two-week ceasefire President Trump forced through Pakistan’s mediation after weeks of escalating conflict.
Vice President JD Vance is already en route to lead the U.S. delegation and turn that temporary pause into a permanent deal.
The Guardian reported:
JD Vance has warned Iran not to “try and play” the US at talks planned for Saturday in Islamabad, while Tehran said it would not take part until Israel stopped bombing of Lebanon.
The US vice-president made the comments as he boarded a plane to Pakistan for negotiations that could determine whether a ceasefire holds or the war on Iran resumes with grave implications for the global economy.
With hours to go before the talks were scheduled to start, doubts remained as to whether they actually would.
[…]
It was unclear on Friday evening whether Qalibaf and Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, were still planning to fly to Islamabad to lead their delegation. It was reported last month that Israel had taken Qalibaf and Araghchi off the target list of its bombing campaign at Washington’s request.
Donald Trump fuelled the uncertainty by saying US forces were rearming and ready to return to the attack if the negotiations failed.
“We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made – even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart,” the US president told the New York Post. “And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively.”
