ISLAMABAD: Iran and the United States are set to hold high-stakes peace talks in Pakistan on Saturday, with both delegations now in Islamabad as negotiations begin under heavy security and amid a two-week ceasefire.
The Iranian delegation, headed by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived first in the Pakistani capital.
Other members include Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, and former IRGC commander Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr.
A United States delegation led by Vice President JD Vance also arrived in Islamabad on Saturday to participate in the talks.
The US delegation, which includes Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, reached the Pakistani capital under tight security arrangements ahead of the negotiations.
Arrival of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran for Islamabad Talks pic.twitter.com/aJYU9cx5t2
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) April 10, 2026
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a high-powered United States delegation led by Vice President JD Vance, along with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Islamabad on Saturday to participate in the Islamabad Talks.
The delegation was received by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi upon arrival.
Welcoming the US Vice President, Dar commended Washington’s commitment to achieving lasting regional and global peace and stability. He expressed hope that the parties would engage constructively and reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to continue facilitating efforts towards a lasting and durable resolution to the conflict.
.@VP departs for Islamabad, Pakistan: “As @POTUS said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.” pic.twitter.com/9nNDGsMmId
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 10, 2026
Pakistan, which played a key mediating role in securing the temporary truce, has warned that the negotiations will be difficult.
“A temporary ceasefire has been announced, but now an even more difficult stage lies ahead: the stage of achieving a lasting ceasefire, of resolving complicated issues through negotiations,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.
“آج میں آپ سے ایک تاریخ ساز موقع پر بات کر رہا ہوں، ایسے موقع پر جب اللہ تعالیٰ کے فضل و کرم سے یہاں جنگ نہیں بلکہ امن کی باتیں ہو رہی ہیں۔ وہ فریقین جو کل تک جنگ میں آمنے سامنے تھے اور خطہ تباہی کا منظر پیش کر رہا تھا، آج الحمدللہ دونوں فریقین بات چیت کے ذریعے معاملات طے کرنے پر… pic.twitter.com/jTsSYwwH4x
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) April 10, 2026
“This is that stage which, in English, is called the equivalent of ‘make or break.’”
Sharif said leaders from both countries were attending at Pakistan’s invitation and pledged that his government would “make every possible effort to make these talks successful”.
“In response to my sincere invitation, the leaders of both countries are coming to Islamabad. There, negotiations will be held for the establishment of peace,” he said in an address to the nation.
“ان نازک ترین لمحات میں پاکستان کی قیادت نے انتہائی محتاط انداز میں مگر بڑے اعتماد کے ساتھ دونوں فریقین کو عارضی جنگ بندی پر نا صرف راضی کیا بلکہ اسلام آباد آنے کے لیے پُرخلوص دعوت بھی دی، اس کے لیے میں ڈپٹی پرائم منسٹر اسحاق ڈار صاحب اور ان کی ٹیم کو دن رات کی محنت اور خلوصِ دل… pic.twitter.com/OeRz6wBjjl
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) April 10, 2026
In Washington, Trump expressed optimism about the outcome of the talks, telling NBC News he was “very optimistic” about a peace deal following the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire.
He said Iran’s leadership appeared “much more reasonable” in private, but warned that failure to reach an agreement would have serious consequences. “If they don’t make a deal, it’s going to be very painful,” he said.
.@POTUS: “No nuclear weapon. That’s 99% of it.” https://t.co/pwqA8I9oZR pic.twitter.com/IEQZNl4SFb
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 10, 2026
Trump has also linked the continuation of the ceasefire to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil passes. While the ceasefire has made the Islamabad talks possible, the Strait has yet to reopen to normal traffic.
Trump said on Friday he would ensure the waterway is reopened soon “with or without” Iran’s cooperation, underscoring the high stakes surrounding the negotiations.
He added that his primary objective at the Islamabad talks was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “No nuclear weapon. That’s 99 percent of it,” he said.
The negotiations mark a pivotal moment in efforts to de-escalate tensions that had threatened to engulf the wider Middle East, placing Pakistan at the centre of global diplomacy.
In Islamabad, extraordinary security arrangements have been put in place ahead of the talks. Authorities have effectively sealed off the Red Zone, with key routes including D-Chowk, Constitution Avenue, and roads leading to the Serena Hotel — the expected venue — either closed or heavily restricted.
All routes leading to the hotel have been blocked, with only authorised vehicles allowed entry. Thousands of security personnel have been deployed across sensitive areas, while large banners and digital displays along major arteries of the city herald the “Islamabad Talks”.
Pakistan has also introduced exceptional facilitation measures for international participants, allowing travellers to board flights without visas and receive visas on arrival, in a bid to ensure broad global participation.
As both delegations are now on the ground in Islamabad, the talks are widely seen as a “make or break” opportunity to transform a temporary ceasefire into a lasting agreement and to resolve a complex set of disputes that continue to destabilise the region.
