Direct US-Iran talks in Islamabad push for peace as Hormuz mine-clearance begins

Face-to-face negotiations between the US and Iran in Islamabad, led by US officials including Vice-President JD Vance and Iranian delegates, aim to seal a peace deal ending weeks of fighting; amid diplomacy, Trump says a deal would make no difference to him while the US moves to establish a safe passage and begin clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran warning against military vessel transit; Israel pledges to keep pressuring Iran as a two-week ceasefire pause allows talks, underscoring a volatile regional backdrop as negotiators seek a framework to de-escalate the crisis.