Islamabad prepares to host historic negotiations between Iran and the US | US-Israel war on Iran
The streets of Islamabad are in tight lockdown as Pakistan’s capital prepares to host historic talks between Iran and the United States, which have thwarted promises of an end to the war ravaging the Middle East.
While the US-Iran ceasefire looks increasingly unstable amid ongoing Israeli bombing of Lebanon and disagreements over the terms of the talks, Pakistani officials insisted make-or-break peace talks will continue as planned over the weekend.
The conflict, which started when Israel and the United States attacked Iran in late February, caused thousands of deaths and global economic devastation. Iran’s retaliatory blockade of the critical shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz, led to global oil and gas shortages and triggered the worst energy crisis in history.
It was Pakistan’s mediation efforts on Tuesday night that pushed the two warring countries to finally agree to a two-week ceasefire after US President Donald Trump threatened that “an entire civilization will die” if Iran did not meet its demands.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, the two sides agreed to meet in Islamabad to negotiate a permanent peace, which was seen as a major diplomatic victory for Pakistan.
But critical questions remain about the ceasefire and the basis for the negotiations. While Iran and Pakistan stated that the ceasefire included Lebanon, the United States and Israel insisted that this was a separate issue. Iranian president Massoud Pezeshkian said peace talks would be “meaningless” if they took place while bombs continued to fall on Lebanon.
According to Iranian deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh, Pakistan’s interventions to maintain peace and the fragile ceasefire were continuing behind the scenes. Khatibzadeh claimed that Pakistan intervened to prevent Iran from retaliating for attacks on Lebanon.
Army personnel and paramilitary guards have been deployed and security has been stepped up across the capital ahead of the first round of talks scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Saturday. Thursday and Friday were declared public holidays and the streets were eerily empty.
Pakistani officials remained tight-lipped on arrangements for the talks, citing security and diplomatic concerns, but said preparations were in full swing.
“Our priority is for the talks to proceed smoothly,” said an official involved in the arrangements. “We do not want to be seen as spoilers. Our role is to be a facilitator and mediator. We will leave it to both sides, namely Iran and the United States, to share the developments with the media if they wish.”
The official confirmed that key delegations would arrive on Thursday night and Friday morning. On the US side, the White House confirmed that the negotiating team will be led by vice president JD Vance, while special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will also travel to Islamabad.
Iranian officials said their delegation will also include foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Galibaf, who are part of the ceasefire negotiations. Senior figures from Iran’s revolutionary guards are also expected to attend.
Delegations from Gulf countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which have been subjected to heavy Iranian bombardment since the start of the war, will also travel to Islamabad and may take part in side talks, officials said.
Due to high security risks, Pakistani officials confirmed that three to four possible venues are being prepared for the critical meeting between Iran and the United States.
The top attendees are expected to stay at Islamabad’s exclusive five-star Serena hotel, which can also host the talks. The hotel was cleared of its guests and the surrounding 3-kilometer road was closed to cars and placed under the control of the army. Other possible locations cited by officials include the prime minister’s secretariat, Islamabad’s convention center or a secure military location.
Officials said there is no set timeline for how long the talks will last. However, guests evacuated from the Serena hotel on Wednesday were informed that the hotel would be full until Sunday night.
At a meeting held on Thursday between prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, who is credited with helping broker the ceasefire, the two “expressed satisfaction with the de-escalation achieved so far.”
