ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been thrust into the center of global diplomacy as it prepares to host high-stakes talks between the US and Iran, with a fragile ceasefire holding just long enough to bring both sides to the negotiating table.
The negotiations, expected to begin Saturday in Islamabad, represent the most significant direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since the collapse of earlier diplomatic efforts — and come amid deep uncertainty over whether the process can deliver a lasting settlement.
US Vice President JD Vance struck a cautiously optimistic tone on Friday ahead of his departure for Islamabad, where he is set to lead Washington’s delegation in the upcoming talks with Iran.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force Two, Vance said: “We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive.”
At the same time, he signaled that Washington would take a firm line if it believed Tehran was being uncooperative.
“We’ll foresee, as the President of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”
US Vice President JD Vance held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday, the White House and Sharif’s office said, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also taking part.
“Prime Minister expressed the hope that these talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region,” Sharif’s office said.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that he hoped the United States and Iran would engage constructively in peace talks as the US delegation landed in the Pakistani capital.
Dar also reiterated Islamabad’s desire to continue facilitating the parties to reach a “lasting and durable solution to the conflict,” according to a statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
Senior US and Iranian leaders were in Islamabad for negotiations to end their six-week-old war, although Tehran threw the talks into doubt by saying they could not begin without commitments on Lebanon and sanctions.
The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and including Witkoff and Kushner, landed in two US air force planes at an air base in Islamabad on Saturday morning, Pakistani sources said.
The Iranian delegation, led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived on Friday.
“The conduct of the US-Iran talks in Islamabad after the ceasefire is an honor for Pakistan,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement after reviewing security arrangements. “The Red Zone will be completely sealed and only relevant persons will be allowed to enter.”
The scale of security preparations reflects both the significance of the talks and the risks surrounding them.
Streets around the Serena Hotel — widely expected to host the talks — have been fortified, cleared of guests, and placed under government control. Roads leading to the area have been sealed, while checkpoints, barricades, and patrols have been stepped up across Islamabad.
For Pakistan, the talks represent a rare moment of global diplomatic prominence.
After weeks of intensive outreach by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Islamabad has positioned itself as a central intermediary in one of the world’s most volatile conflicts.
“Pakistan has become the center of global attention in the context of the Islamabad peace talks,” the Prime Minister’s Office said, noting a surge in calls from world leaders seeking to support the process.
The country’s unique positioning — maintaining ties with Washington, Tehran, Beijing, and Gulf capitals — has enabled it to act as a bridge between competing interests.
The talks are built on a two-week ceasefire agreed earlier this week after a devastating conflict that killed thousands and sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
The war was triggered by coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, which Tehran responded to by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz — a critical artery for global oil flows.
Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and significant volumes of gas pass through the narrow waterway in peacetime, making its disruption a major threat to the global economy.
Although the ceasefire has allowed limited shipping to resume, traffic through the strait remains far below normal levels, and tensions persist.
At the heart of the Islamabad talks lies a wide gap between US and Iranian positions.
Washington is expected to push for limits on Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and guarantees on the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran, meanwhile, has put forward a 10-point proposal that includes maintaining control over the strait, recognition of its right to nuclear enrichment, lifting of sanctions, and an end to hostilities across the region.
Iran has also floated the idea of imposing a toll on vessels passing through Hormuz — a demand likely to face strong resistance from the US and its allies.
Beyond these core issues, the status of Lebanon has emerged as a major sticking point.
The US and Israel maintain that the ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon, where Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah have continued.
Iran — backed by Pakistan — insists that Lebanon is covered by the agreement, and has warned that ongoing attacks could derail the talks altogether.
Rather than direct face-to-face negotiations, US and Iranian officials are likely to sit in separate rooms, with Pakistani mediators shuttling proposals between them — a model used in earlier Oman-mediated talks.
This indirect approach allows both sides to engage without formal recognition, but can slow progress and complicate efforts to reach agreement on complex issues.
Pakistan’s role will be to manage this delicate process, balancing competing demands while trying to keep both sides engaged.
