Preparations for Historic US-Iran Talks in Islamabad, Efforts to Prevent War

Agency. Following the recently announced two-week ceasefire, delegations from the United States and Iran are set to arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, for high-level peace talks aimed at reducing tensions in the Middle East.

Pakistan has intensified security and logistical preparations, and renovation work has begun. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has prepared a comprehensive plan to ensure full security for all visiting foreign delegates.

Authorities in the capital, Islamabad, have implemented extensive security measures ahead of the talks, declaring local holidays in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the third-largest city in the Pakistani province of Punjab, to facilitate the arrangements.

Separate routes have been designated for the movement of foreign delegations, and police, paramilitary forces, and other security agencies have been deployed under Blue Book protocols.

Police have informed commuters about diversions on the express highway. Rescue services and hospitals have been placed on high alert. The Serena Hotel, a five-star property in the Red Zone, has been reserved exclusively for the delegations.

The talks come exactly six weeks after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a coordinated attack on Iran by the United States and Israel. The ongoing conflict has killed thousands of people, closed the world's most important oil routes, and caused energy prices to skyrocket.

Meanwhile, talks between top US and Iranian officials are scheduled to take place in Islamabad on Saturday. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency, Mohammad Bagher kalibaf, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, will lead the Tehran delegation for talks with a US delegation led by US Vice President JD Vance.

According to the White House, the American team will include senior diplomats Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with the first round of talks scheduled for Saturday. The meeting comes days after Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire mediated by Pakistan.