Live updates: Follow the latest news on the Iran war
The US and Iran accused each other of acting in bad faith over their ceasefire agreement, with US President Donald Trump threatening to start "shooting" again unless Iran fully complies with Washington’s understanding of the deal and Tehran insisting Israel's attacks on Lebanon broke its terms.
"All US ships, aircraft and military personnel with additional ammunition, weaponry, and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already substantially degraded enemy, will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the real agreement is reached and fully complied with," Mr Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
His administration has claimed that it had agreed to a 10-point peace plan proposed by Iran that differs from the version circulated by some Iranian officials.
“All 10 points were a made-up hoax,” wrote Mr Trump in a post on Truth Social, referring to reporting that he said ran in The New York Times and CNN, which he accused of aiming to discredit those involved in the talks.
Iran's 10-point plan and a 15-point proposal from the US will serve as the basis for negotiations on a permanent peace deal, with talks scheduled to begin on Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Iran said three of the points in its plan, which has not officially been made public, had already been violated, including a halt to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. Israel killed more than 300 people in a wave of 100 strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, against what it said were targets linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, and carried out more attacks on Thursday.
Mr Trump and US Vice President JD Vance have both said Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the terms of the ceasefire were “clear and explicit” and that the US "must choose" between maintaining the truce and supporting Israel’s attacks.
In a post on X, he attached Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s statement announcing the truce, highlighting the line which said that Iran and the US “along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon”.
“The ball is in the US court and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments," he said.
Pakistan said Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam sought Islamabad's support for bringing an immediate end to Israel's attacks in a phone call with Mr Sharif on Thursday.
"I reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advance peace efforts, including facilitating dialogue through the upcoming Iran-US talks in Islamabad," Mr Sharif said in a post on X.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Israel's continuing attacks on Lebanon were a "blatant violation of the ceasefire” and would make negotiations "meaningless".
"Our hands will remain on the trigger," he wrote on X.
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is expected to lead Iran's delegation, cast doubt on the prospects of reaching an agreement.
"In such a situation, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable," he said.
However, Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, confirmed that Tehran was sending a delegation to Islamabad.
"Despite scepticism of Iranian public opinion due to repeated ceasefire violations by Israeli regime to sabotage the diplomatic initiative, invited by Hon PM Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian delegation arrives tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran," he said in a post on X on Thursday.
Pakistan authorities locked down the capital ahead of the talks, cutting off access to a 3km zone around the five-star luxury Serena Hotel. Both the US and Iranian delegations are expected to stay at the hotel, which told all guests to check out until Sunday as it had been "requisitioned" for "an important event", Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, there has been no significant increase in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been blockaded by Iran since the war began on February 28.
Seven vessels, all of which had either called at Iranian ports or were carrying Iranian cargo, were observed travelling through the waterway at the mouth of the Gulf between Wednesday and Thursday morning. Ship movements in both directions were about 135 a day before the war.
In a further sign of Tehran’s efforts to formalise control over the waterway, Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation published two safe routes for shipping, according to state media. It said the routes were necessary to avoid the potential presence of anti-ship mines in the usual sailing routes through the strait.
