Pakistan is preparing itself to host the much expected US-Iran talks on ending the now infamous six week-war of 2026.
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| A labourer paints kerbs ahead of the visit of US and Iranian delegations in Islamabad |
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said on April 8 that talks could continue for up to 15 days — suggesting the possibility that at least some members of the delegations may stay in Islamabad beyond Saturday, or return to the Pakistani capital for subsequent rounds of talks.
Islamabad’s Serena Hotel located close to the foreign ministry in the capital’s Red Zone will host the delegations.
Washington has confirmed that US Vice President JD Vance will lead the American delegation, joined by President Donald Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Nomination of Vance to lead the US team in the parleys is significant as there are chances Vance may emerge a key contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination.
Analysts say Vance has positioned himself as a cautious negotiator about prolonged US military involvement in the Middle East.
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| Indian forces along the border |
Pakistan shares a 900km (560-mile) border with Iran and hosts the world’s second-largest Shia Muslim population after its neighbour.
These factors may enhance Pakistan's relevance to Tehran.
Unlike much of the Middle East, Pakistan does not host US military bases.
Does this 'gap' give any additional credibility in Iranian eyes?
Pakistan, however, has been designated a Major Non-NATO ally of the US since 2004.
But there is some deliberate confusion or predicament in the US-Pak ties. tThe US ambassadorial post in Islamabad has often remained vacant. It's a vacant slot now.
Since 2018, only one confirmed ambassador, Donald Blome, served from 2022 to early 2025.
It will be a rare for a US vice president to visit a country where Americans do not have an ambassador.
The last sitting US president to visit Pakistan was George W Bush in March 2006.
The last vice president to visit Pakistan was Joe Biden in January 2011.
There are already reasons to be pessimistic about the talks.
Iran’s 10-point proposal for peace calls for Iranian oversight of the Strait of Hormuz,
-- the withdrawal of US combat forces from the Middle East
, and a halt to military operations against allied armed groups, among other demands.
Of course, the United States has not formally accepted these terms yet. But making quick U-turns have been a characteristic of the US administration's foreign policy under Trump.
While a ceasefire deal is in place the stakeholders Iran and the US have been busy in the past 24 hours contradicting each other.
It's not clear on what's actually been agreed to, especially regarding Lebanon.
It has put Pakistan, which mediated the deal, at the centre of the storm. Israel is continuing to bomb Lebanon.
The US and Israel said Lebanon, which Tel Aviv has pounded since March 2, was never part of the ceasefire deal. According to Iran, it was. When Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the ceasefire between the US and Iran on Wednesday, he explicitly mentioned in capital letters that it applied "everywhere", including Lebanon.
"Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere,
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY," Sharif tweeted.
But how much of 'immediate' and 'effective' is everyone's guessing game now !!
Lebanon got embroiled in the conflict after the armed group Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran, attacked Israel. Israel retaliated by pounding Beirut and key Lebanese cities, killing over 1,500 people since March 2.
In a sharply worded statement, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US and Israel of violating the ceasefire. "In such a situation, a ceasefire or negotiations are unreasonable," said Ghalibaf.
Interestingly further Ghalibaf is commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — which is leading Tehran’s military response in the war.
ends
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