What happened
Iran’s delegation landed in Islamabad late on Friday night ahead of talks with the United States, with Vice President JD Vance and the American team travelling to Pakistan for a first round on Saturday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office and state media said.
The Iranian delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the defence council secretary, the governor of Iran’s central bank and legislators. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi received them, according to the Foreign Office.
The US delegation is led by Vance and includes Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Before departing, Vance told reporters he was looking forward to the negotiations and expected the Islamabad talks to be positive.
Why it matters
The meetings would be the first direct high-level negotiations of the war, following a two-week ceasefire brokered with Pakistani mediation and announced hours before a US ultimatum tied to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan has cast itself as a facilitator, drawing on ties with Washington, Tehran and the Gulf states.
In a televised address, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called hosting the talks “a proud moment not only for Pakistan but for the whole Muslim world”. He thanked the leadership of Iran and the United States for accepting his proposal and paid tribute to Dar and Field Marshal Munir for their roles in reaching the ceasefire. He described the next phase as a “make or break” moment.
Pakistan declared public holidays in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and sealed the capital’s Red Zone, deploying more than 10,000 police and security personnel and restricting access to official vehicles. Airlines were instructed to allow visa-free boarding for delegates and journalists from the two participating nations; the Foreign Office said the facility did not cover third-country nationals.
What is still uncertain
Tehran has attached conditions to the start of substantive talks. Ghalibaf said two measures agreed by the parties had yet to be carried out — a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets — writing on X that “these two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin”. It is also unclear whether the round can bridge the gaps over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, compensation for war damage and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not original reporting. Sources were reviewed on 10 April 2026.
- Dawn — "Vance en route, Iranian delegation touches down for Islamabad talks"Published 10 April 2026 · Reports the Iranian delegation's late-night arrival and its line-up, the Foreign Office reception, Vance's departure, the visa-free boarding directive and its limits, and the security review.
- Dawn — "Hosting US-Iran talks a proud moment for Pakistan, Muslim world: PM Shehbaz"Published 10 April 2026 · Quotes from the prime minister's televised address, including the "proud moment" line, his tribute to Dar and Field Marshal Munir, and his description of the talks as a "make or break" moment.
- Pakistan Today — "Islamabad locks down as Pakistan prepares for crucial US-Iran peace talks"Published 10 April 2026 · Confirms the sealed Red Zone, the interior ministry control room, the Islamabad and Rawalpindi holidays, and the delegation line-ups.
