Hello, welcome to the programme.
This is NewsHour from the BBC World Service, coming to you live from London.
I'm Paul Henley.
Now, the future of peace talks planned for Iran has been thrown into doubt by a statement from the Iranian foreign minister
that the US must first stop Israel's attacks on Lebanon.
The speaker of Iran's parliament leading the Iranian delegation that has just arrived for the talks in Pakistan had previously
also stressed the necessity of releasing Iran's blocked assets.
Pakistan is the venue of the talks on Saturday billed as historic by organisers
and intended to include the US Vice President J.D. Vance.
Malida Lodi was Pakistan's representative to the UN as well as ambassador to the United States.
She told the BBC Pakistan had played a crucial role in bringing about these talks.
It's high risk, but then it's also high reward.
And in any case, Pakistan was uniquely positioned to play this role.
There was nobody else who the U.S. Turned to and then Iran also accepted.
If Pakistan can actually succeed in ensuring that the two sides adhere to the ceasefire and also reach some kind of an understanding
during the talks in Islamabad, then it 'll be a big feather in Pakistan's diplomatic cap.
But the war in Lebanon continues.
More than 350 people were killed and over 1,000 wounded in a huge wave of Israeli attacks on Wednesday after the ceasefire
in the conflict with Iran had been announced.
Israel says it killed more than 180 Hezbollah militants.