US President Donald Trump has tasked his vice president JD Vance with shoring up a shaky ceasefire at the high-level talks with Iran in Islamabad.
Iran has threatened to break the truce over Israel’s strikes on Lebanon.
According to the German news agency dpa, citing Pakistani security sources, talks between the delegations’ respective diplomatic experts are scheduled for Friday, before the lead negotiators meet on Saturday. If necessary, talks could potentially continue into Sunday.
The talks themselves are expected to be indirect, with the two delegations sitting in separate rooms while Pakistani officials shuttle proposals between them, mirroring the format used in earlier rounds of talks mediated by Oman.
US Vice President JD Vance is heading up Washington’s delegation, along with President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy, real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to lead the Iranian delegation, but there were still mixed messages from Tehran regarding Iran’s participation.
“The holding of talks to end the war is dependent on the US adhering to its ceasefire commitments on all fronts, especially in Lebanon,” said a foreign ministry spokesman, referring to ongoing Israeli attacks on supposed Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. “Once the travel plan is finalized, the composition of the delegation will also be announced,” he added.
Whether any active members of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would be taking was also unclear, but the group did say it was committed to the ceasefire.
“We would like to inform you that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have not launched anything at any country during the ceasefire hours until now,” read an IRGC statement.
There was a visibly increased security presence in Islamabad’s diplomatic quarter on Friday as Pakistan prepares to host high-level negotiations between United States and Iranian delegations.
A local holiday has been declared to minimize residents’ movements, while more than 10,000 security personnel, including police, soldiers and paramilitary units, have been deployed.
The high-security “red zone,” home to key government buildings and foreign embassies, has been cordoned off and guests at the five-star Serena Hotel have reportedly been relocated to make room for the delegates — although the precise location of the talks hasn’t been officially confirmed.
“Pakistan welcomes all delegates, including journalists from participating nations, traveling in relation to Islamabad Talks 2026,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar wrote on social media, confirming that visa restrictions for participants had been relaxed. (DW)