Saturday's negotiations mark rare face-to-face meeting between US and Iranian leaders.

The talks in Pakistan that are being led by Vice President JD Vance and Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mark a rare instance of high-level engagement between American leadership and the Iranian government.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the highest-level direct contact had been when President Barack Obama, a Democrat, in September 2013 called newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

It's a high-stakes political task for Vance, who has been a reluctant defender of the US war with Iran, and has little previous diplomatic experience. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are joining Vance at the table, also are relatively new players in international diplomacy.

The White House said it sent "a full suite of US experts on relevant subject areas" to join the negotiators in Islamabad, and said other experts were supporting the team from Washington.

In Jerusalem, thousands of Orthodox Christians gather in Church of Holy Sepulchre after restrictions lifted

Thousands of worshippers took part in the annual "Holy Fire" ceremony on Saturday in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an Orthodox Christian ritual that dates back more than 1,200 years.

The ceremony, held the day before Orthodox Easter, symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus, where the Greek Orthodox Patriarch brings out candles reportedly lit by a miraculous, non-burning flame from the tomb, which is then passed to thousands of worshipers.

Holy sites across Jerusalem's Old City, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Western Wall, remained closed for 40 days under Israeli security restrictions following the war on Iran, but reopened on Thursday as a fragile, two-week ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. appeared to hold.

"Just two days ago there was absolutely no one in the Old City, it felt like an orphaned town," said Fr. Antonious Al-Orshalemy. "But now we see wedding-like celebrations on every level. Everyone is happy, and everyone is joyful."

Iran's Tasnim: Strait of Hormuz remains point of 'serious disagreement' in Islamabad talks

The Strait of Hormuz remains among the main points of "serious disagreement" in talks between Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday, adding that consultations were continuing despite what it described as excessive US demands, while Iran insisted on preserving its military gains.

Thousands protest Lebanese planned negotiations with Israel

Amid the protests, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Saturday he had postponed a planned trip to Washington "in light of the current internal circumstances."

Ahead of his announcement, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader on international affairs warned against sidelining Hezbollah, saying in a social media post: "Mr. Nawaf Salam must know that ignoring the unparalleled role of the Resistance and the heroic Hezbollah will expose Lebanon to irreparable security risks."

President Joseph Aoun said Friday a first meeting will be held Tuesday at the US State Department to discuss a ceasefire and launch US-mediated Lebanon-Israel negotiations, following a call between the two countries' ambassadors in Washington with the participation of the US ambassador to Beirut.

Protesters burned portraits of Salam in downtown Beirut near the Grand Serail, calling him a "Zionist" as they carried Hezbollah flags.

It was not immediately clear whether Salam was joining the delegation on Tuesday or what his decision meant for the talks.

Pope Leo urges end to 'madness of war' as US, Iran start talks

Pope Leo on Saturday urged world leaders to end what he called the "madness of war," in an impassioned appeal as senior US and Iranian officials met in Pakistan to discuss ending the six-week conflict.

At a special prayer vigil in St. Peter's Basilica, the first US pope decried the use of religious language to justify war and said a "delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us ... is becoming increasingly unpredictable".

Making a direct appeal to world leaders, he said: "Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned."

Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war.

On Saturday, he used forceful language to denounce conflict, citing letters from children in war zones he said described "horror and inhumanity".

The pope also referenced the Church's opposition to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, citing an appeal by the late Pope John Paul II made four days before the start of that conflict.

"Enough of the idolatry of self and money!" Leo said. "Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!"

Qatari official says Iranian attacks have decreased but 'not stopped'

Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that attacks against any Gulf state constitute an attack on all of them, denying that Qatar pays Iran to stop attacks against its territory.

"Qatar does not pay in exchange for stopping attacks on it," said Majed al-Ansari in a televised interview with Al Jazeera, adding that Qatar intercepts the Iranian attacks.

Al-Ansari added Iran had also attacked civilian and industrial targets, despite Iran's claim that it was only targeting military sites.

US military says two of its ships crossed through Strait of Hormuz

The US military said on Saturday that two of its warships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a plan to start removing mines from the vital conduit for the global oil trade.

Sending the ships through the strait was aimed at "setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz," US Central Command posted on X.

Israel says it struck over 200 Hezbollah targets in the last 24 hours

The Israeli military said its air force hit infrastructure of the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon and was continuing to support its ground forces operating in southern Lebanon.

The statement came as Teheran was pressing for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in three-party talks that began Saturday afternoon between Iran and the US in Pakistan.

Earlier Saturday, the Lebanese state-run news agency reported at least three people killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. There were no reported strikes in the afternoon hours.

In Israeli communities along the border with Lebanon sirens continued to warn of drone and rocket attacks from Lebanon throughout the day Saturday. There were no reports of injuries.

French President Macron says he held talks with Iran's President

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that he had spoken with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, and had highlighted to him the importance of de-escalating the current situation through the ceasefire talks in Pakistan.

"I stressed the need for Iran to restore freedom of navigation and security in the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible, to which France stands ready to contribute. I insisted on the importance of fully respecting the ceasefire, including in Lebanon," Macron said in a post on X.

Trump says he opposes higher fertiliser costs for US farmers

The US president posted on social media that he is monitoring fertiliser price and "will not accept" any increase in costs for farmers.

Fertiliser costs have increased globally because of natural gas supplies being stranded due Iran's control of the Strait of the Hormuz. Iran has used the strait as strategic leverage in its ongoing war with the US and Israel.

But Trump's post was targeted at a domestic audience.

"I am watching fertilizer prices CLOSELY during our FIGHT FOR FREEDOM in Iran," he posted. "The United States will not accept PRICE GOUGING from the fertilizer monopoly! American Farmers, we have your back!"