Islamabad, April 11: An Iranian delegation landed here in the wee hours of Saturday for talks with the US, as the world keeps its fingers crossed for an agreement to end the conflict between the two sides.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while announcing a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, had said that the US and Iran would hold talks in Islamabad, tagging the presidents of the US and Iran in his statement on X.
The Iranian delegation led by its Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, would participate in the Islamabad Talks slated to begin later Saturday, after the arrival of the US delegation led by Vice President J D Vance, which was on its way to Islamabad.
The Pakistan foreign office said the delegation from Iran was received upon its arrival by Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshall Syed Asim Munir, and Minister for Interior, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
“A high-powered delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran led by Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad today to participate in Islamabad Talks,” the foreign office said in a statement.
Expressing hope that the two sides would engage constructively, Dar reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching a lasting and durable solution to the conflict in West Asia, according to the statement.
The delegation came amid speculation making rounds on social media, casting doubts on the visit by the Iranians due to the strikes by Israel in Lebanon.
There were some reports quoting Iranian media that the delegation would participate in talks if the conditions agreed in the ceasefire deal were fulfilled.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency had reported that negotiations would not begin until the “preconditions” were met, echoing a message from Ghalibaf before leaving for Islamabad.
“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties are yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X.
“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.”
Meanwhile, the US delegation under Vice President Vance was expected to land soon in Islamabad.
President Donald Trump, as per reports, has given Vance “some pretty clear guidelines” on the negotiations.
“As the US president said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend an open hand. If they’re going to try to play us, they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” Vance told the media before boarding his plane to Islamabad.
The talks are taking place amid a two-week halt in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began with the former launching attacks on the latter on February 28.
Pakistan led the diplomatic push to bring the two sides to the table, which became possible after an appeal by Prime Minister Sharif earlier this week, leading to a pause in the fighting.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi, who held a telephone call with the country’s ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shibani, earlier asserted that the US must live up to its ceasefire commitments, which he said included ensuring the truce covers Lebanon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had said that the Israeli attacks on Lebanon blatantly violated the initial ceasefire and would render negotiations meaningless.
A thick security blanket covered Islamabad, which was on ‘red alert’ ahead of the talks.
More than 10,000 police and security personnel have been deployed to ensure multi-layered security for the visiting delegates, officials said.
The Red Zone, housing key buildings, is being protected by the army and the Rangers, and only authorised officials and residents are allowed to go through it.
The upcoming negotiations are being closely watched globally, as their success or failure could have far-reaching implications for West Asia’s security, global energy markets, and international diplomacy.–(PTI)
