Islamabad sets stage for high-stakes talks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has created a scenario of another important round of negotiation among the US and Iran, where the next talks will most probably take place just a few hours prior to expiry of the ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on Wednesday.

Although there was much speculation regarding 'Islamabad Round 2' because of the Iranian government’s reservations to announce their involvement officially, a US delegation comprising Vice President JD Vance is to visit Islamabad with other US officials.

There were mixed reports regarding the timing of Vance’s arrival as President Trump told the New York Post that Vance had left for Islamabad when the White House spokespersons said he would leave on Tuesday with talks scheduled on Wednesday.

There had been uncertainty about timing of their arrival; there was no doubt about their coming. However, Iran continues to keep the media guessing when everything suggests a different picture in Islamabad.

Hours later even after the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tehran had yet to make a decision regarding joining the negotiations, US war planes landed at Nur Khan Airbase, which showed that preparations for the war were being made irrespective of the official statement.

Iran blamed the US for violating ceasefire agreement terms and demanded it to lift its naval blockade in the crucial Strait of Hormuz before joining any negotiations.

"The commitment to fulfilling the obligations is the core of a meaningful dialogue. There is deep historical mistrust towards U.S. government behaviour in Iran while unproductive messages from U.S. officials convey a bitter truth: they want submission from Iran. We Iranians will never submit to threats," Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian tweeted on X.

However, Pakistani officials refused to comment on the matter and admitted privately that there was a lot of posturing prior to the actual discussions taking place between the two sides. Sources in diplomacy confirmed that Washington continued backdoor talks with Tehran.

According to a news report from the British news channel, Field Marshal Asim Munir contacted President Trump. It was reported that he expressed his concern over the US blocking the Strait of Hormuz.