ISLAMABAD: Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has declared that a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iran’s blocked assets must occur before peace negotiations with the United States can begin.
Ghalibaf made the statement in a post on X on Friday, just hours before high-stakes talks brokered by Pakistan are set to open in Islamabad on Saturday.
The Iranian parliament speaker will personally lead Tehran’s negotiating team in the Pakistani capital.
Regional media reports and Iranian official statements confirm the two core conditions as non-negotiable prerequisites.
Ghalibaf stressed that these issues were part of the mutually agreed framework that paved the way for the current two-week ceasefire.
He pointed to continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon as a clear violation of the truce terms.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had explicitly stated during mediation that the ceasefire must apply everywhere, including Lebanon and other regions, effective immediately.
Iran insists there is no room for denial or backtracking on this point.
The second demand involves the release of Iran’s blocked assets, estimated globally between 100 billion and 120 billion dollars.
A significant portion remains frozen due to longstanding US sanctions, with nearly two billion dollars held directly in the United States.
Additional frozen funds sit in countries such as South Korea, Iraq, China, Japan and Luxembourg.
Iran views the prompt unfreezing of these assets as essential to building any trust for broader talks.
The current fragile ceasefire was announced earlier this week after intense Pakistani mediation.
President Donald Trump accepted Iran’s 10-point proposal as a workable basis for negotiations.
That proposal reportedly includes lifting sanctions, Iranian influence over the Strait of Hormuz, and protections for Tehran’s regional allies.
Talks in Islamabad will see US Vice President JD Vance leading the American side, accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Iran’s delegation also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi alongside Ghalibaf.
Security in Islamabad has been heightened dramatically ahead of the summit, with roads blocked and heavy military presence around key venues.
The war that prompted these talks erupted after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.
It has already caused thousands of deaths across the Middle East and severely disrupted global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran briefly reinstated its blockade of the strategic waterway following reports of continued strikes in Lebanon.
Disagreements over whether the ceasefire covers Hezbollah operations in Lebanon have emerged as the most immediate flashpoint.
The United States and Israel maintain that Lebanon was never included in the bilateral truce with Iran.
Iran and Pakistan counter that Sharif’s public statements made the scope comprehensive.
Ghalibaf warned that further violations would carry explicit costs and provoke strong responses from Tehran.
He described the pattern of alleged US breaches as reinforcing deep historical distrust.
Despite the tensions, both sides appear willing to sit down in Islamabad, though expectations remain modest.
Pakistani officials have indicated the goal is simply to keep the dialogue alive beyond the two-week ceasefire window.
International coverage has highlighted the fragility of the truce, with continued Israeli operations in Lebanon raising fears of rapid collapse.
Analysts note that failure to address Iran’s two stated conditions could derail the entire process before substantive issues such as uranium enrichment rights or sanctions relief are even discussed.
Ghalibaf’s firm stance has injected fresh uncertainty into the weekend talks.
Yet the very fact that senior figures from both nations are converging in Islamabad signals a rare diplomatic opening amid ongoing conflict.
Observers will watch closely whether the United States shows any movement on the Lebanon ceasefire or asset release.
Without progress on these fronts, Iran has signaled that negotiations may prove unreasonable and potentially short-lived.
The outcome could reshape not only US-Iran relations but also stability across the wider Middle East for years to come.