Pakistan prepares for second round of US-Iran talks, even as uncertainty looms

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ISLAMABAD – Pakistan was gearing up to host a possible second round of US-Iran talks on April 20, even as uncertainty loomed over whether or not they would take place.

The talks were thrown into doubt over the weekend when the US Navy fired upon and boarded an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, the first seizure in the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan has emerged as the key mediator in brokering a peace deal, hosting the first round of talks on April 11 and 12.

On April 20, security arrangements were again under way in the capital Islamabad. 

The sensitive “Red Zone” that houses government buildings and the guarded Diplomatic Enclave where most embassies are located has been blocked off to traffic. Inside the zone, the Serena Hotel where Iranian and US officials spent hours locked in negotiations has been closed off to the public. The Marriott and Movenpick hotels have also stopped taking reservations for the next few days.

Offices and schools within the zone have been advised to work from home and public transport across the city has been suspended. 

On April 19, US President Donald Trump confirmed a delegation will be travelling to Pakistan the next day.

The delegation will be led by Vice-President J.D. Vance and includes Mr Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on April 20 met US Embassy officials in Islamabad to discuss security arrangements.

Iran, who was represented last time by the Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has not yet confirmed its participation. 

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the phone for 45 minutes on April 19. Mr Sharif said Pakistan would remain “fully committed to advancing regional peace and security”, in a statement released by his office.

The first round of talks ended with a brief press conference held by Mr Vance, who announced that the two sides had failed to reach an agreement. Since then, diplomatic signalling has remained uneven, with both sides trading barbs on social media.  

A two-week ceasefire is due to expire on April 22.

Pakistan has continued to play a prominent role – with the country’s powerful army chief Asim Munir travelling to Tehran as part of the mediation efforts. For weeks now, the nuclear-armed nation has leveraged its close ties with both Iran – with which it shares a border – and the US to resolve the conflict.

With neither side fully aligned on conditions, the diplomatic track remains open but fragile, and increasingly dependent on whether recent escalations at sea derail what remains of the negotiating momentum. BLOOMBERG