ISLAMABAD: Islamabad is all set for a make-or-break moment as the “Islamabad Talks” are set to kick off today (Saturday), a high-stakes effort to ease mounting tensions between the United States and Iran, with hopes of finding a lasting solution to the Middle East crisis.
The negotiations between the US Iranian delegations in Islamabad follow a fragile two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan earlier this week, offering a rare pause in a conflict that has claimed over 3,000 lives and rattled the wider region.
High-level delegations from Tehran and Washington are converging on Islamabad, with talks scheduled to begin Saturday evening (today).
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The Iranian delegation is being led by Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), accompanied by Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi.
As the delegations gear up to meet, Iran reiterated that the release of its blocked assets and a ceasefire in Lebanon must come before any substantive negotiations.
In a pointed post on X, Ghalibaf warned that “two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets. These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations can begin.”
The US delegation, headed by Vice-President JD Vance, departed for Islamabad on Friday afternoon and is expected to arrive later today (Saturday).
Vance is joined by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former presidential adviser and the influential son-in-law of Donald Trump, a central figure in Washington’s Middle East diplomacy.
Before departing for Islamabad, Vance said he is “looking forward to negotiations” with Iran.
He added that the US is ready to engage if Iran acts in “good faith,” but warned that Washington will not be receptive if Tehran “tries to play us.” The delegations from Iran and the US are set to stay at the five-star Serena Hotel, located inside Islamabad’s heavily fortified red zone, now cleared of guests and secured under strict military supervision.
Surrounding roads have been sealed off, and army personnel deployed across the city. While alternative venues – including the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the Convention Centre Islamabad, and secure military facilities – were considered, Serena remains the most likely setting for these high-stakes discussions.
The talks, with Pakistan represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, are expected to begin Saturday afternoon.
According to sources, initial meetings will see the delegations in separate halls, with Pakistani officials shuttling messages between them.
Direct engagement may follow if preliminary progress is made on key agenda items.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and China are also expected to play supporting roles, highlighting Islamabad’s emergence as a critical diplomatic hub.
The “Islamabad Talks” come after a 14-day ceasefire that paused 39 days of intense fighting, ignited on 28 February when US and Israeli forces launched joint operations against Iranian positions.
The upcoming meetings between Vance and Ghalibaf, along with Araghchi, mark the highest-level engagement between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution – underscoring both the stakes and the historic nature of these talks.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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