Talks begin in Islamabad as U.S. and Iran seek path to end war

The Washington Post reports that U.S. and Iranian delegations began talks in Islamabad on Saturday, mediated by Pakistan, with both sides accusing each other of ceasefire violations ahead of negotiations aimed at ending the wider U.S.-Iran conflict. Israel was not present at the talks. The reporting comes from established correspondents (Susannah George and Shaiq Hussain) at a major national outlet, meeting standard journalistic attribution practices. Independent corroboration from the BBC, Guardian, Al Jazeera, and NBC News confirms that trilateral talks were underway in Islamabad with Pakistan as mediator, though most outlets note details remain scarce and sources describe modest initial goals focused on keeping dialogue alive rather than achieving immediate breakthroughs. Critical readers should monitor the outcome of Saturday's session and whether the parties can move beyond mutual accusations of violations to substantive negotiations, particularly given reported deep divisions and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.