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Islamabad prepares to host historic negotiations between Iran and US

2026-04-10 07:42:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The streets of Islamabad are under strict lockdown as the Pakistani capital prepares to host historic negotiations between Iran and the US, which have reneged on a promise to end the war that has devastated the Middle East.

Even as the US-Iran ceasefire looked increasingly precarious, amid continued Israeli bombing of Lebanon and disagreements over the terms of the talks, Pakistani officials insist that the peace negotiations, which will either conclude or fail, will continue over the weekend as planned.

According to Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, Pakistan's interventions to maintain peace and protect the fragile ceasefire have continued behind the scenes. Khatibzadeh claims that Pakistan intervened to stop Iran from retaliating against the attacks in Lebanon.

Ahead of the first round of talks in Islamabad, which will take place on Saturday, army personnel and paramilitary guards have been deployed and security has been beefed up across the capital. Thursday and Friday were declared public holidays and the streets remain eerily empty.

Officials have confirmed that the main delegations would arrive on Thursday evening and Friday morning. On the American side, the White House has said that their negotiating team will be led by Vice President JD Vance, with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also traveling to Islamabad.

Iranian officials say their delegation will include Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, both of whom were part of the ceasefire negotiations. Senior figures from Iran's Revolutionary Guard are also expected to attend.

Due to high security risks, Pakistani officials have confirmed that there were three to four possible locations being selected for the critical meeting.

The most high-profile participants are expected to stay at Islamabad's exclusive five-star Serena Hotel, which could also host the talks. The hotel has been emptied of its guests and 3km of surrounding roads have been closed to vehicles and placed under military control./CNA, translated by The Guardian