\n<\/p>\n
Islamabad, Pakistan \u2013<\/strong> The capital woke up on Saturday to lockdown: Roads were sealed, checkpoints appeared, and more than 10,000 security personnel were deployed ahead of \u00a0ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran.<\/p>\n The Iranian delegation arrived late on Friday night, their movement swift and largely unseen. We followed the flight en route to Islamabad via Balochistan. A Pakistani air force plane quickly switched off its call sign inside Pakistani airspace. By the following afternoon, the Americans landed at Nur Khan Air Base, which India claimed to have damaged during the brief war last year.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n On the tarmac, three extraordinary tail fins stood out. One American, two Iranian. It was a small detail, but in a region defined by symbolism, not insignificant.<\/p>\n From the base, the motorcades moved along pre-cleared routes to the Serena Hotel, the venue of the talks. The property, which had been attacked by armed groups in the past, was vacated days earlier. Guests were asked to check out, floors secured, staff vetted. What remained was not a hotel, but a controlled diplomatic environment.<\/p>\n The stage was set for the first direct, high-level engagement between post-revolution Iran and the United States\u2026 on Pakistani soil.<\/p>\n Inside the negotiation room was expectedly a collision of two fundamentally different worldviews \u2013 an American \u201cpeace through strength\u201d versus the Iranian \u201cresistance with dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a make-or-break moment for lasting peace,\u201d Pakistani prime minister Shahbaz Sharif said the night before.<\/p>\n Nothing, it seemed, had been guaranteed. Ahead of the arrival, Iran\u2019s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, had publicly set conditions \u2013 no talks without movement on a ceasefire in Lebanon, and no progress without the unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad.<\/p>\n Iran wants the ceasefire to include the Lebanon front, where Israel has continued a brutal campaign, killing more than 2,000 people. Tehran is also seeking the unlocking of its frozen assets due to years of US sanctions, which have crippled its economy.<\/p>\n The message was clear: diplomacy, not dictation. Negotiations which could not be detached from the realities of the conflict.<\/p>\n Yet, within hours of both delegations landing, separate, bilateral engagements began. For Pakistani officials involved in the process, this was the breakthrough thaw.<\/p>\n This was not an unfamiliar setting, and the failures of the recent past lingered. Talks between Washington and Tehran have happened before \u2013 in Muscat, Vienna, Geneva and Abu Dhabi. But each round carried with it a familiar undertone: mistrust, layered over years of confrontation and broken commitments. But never before were they face-to-face and at this level \u2013 negotiators including the US vice president JD Vance and the speaker of the Iranian parliament Ghalibaf.<\/p>\n It was within this context that Islamabad\u2019s role became significant. It was happening amid deepened mistrust. Iranian officials pointed to the killings of its officials, including security chief Ali Larijani, while negotiations were ongoing.<\/p>\n Pakistan managed what others couldn\u2019t with geography, religion and regional relations. It has close ties with Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It shares a long and sensitive border with Iran. Its ports sit close to one of the world\u2019s most critical energy chokepoints \u2013 the Strait of Hormuz. And its relationship with China adds another layer of strategic relevance. Unlike several other mediators in the region, it does not host US military bases. Yet its powerful army chief Asim Munir is Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cfavourite field marshal\u201d<\/p>\n Taken together, these factors placed Islamabad in a position few others could claim \u2013 able to speak to all sides, without formally belonging to any.<\/p>\n Once the talks began, they did not pause for long. Officials described the 21 hours of talks as \u201ccontinuous, but uneven\u201d.<\/p>\n The first session lasted under two hours. It was followed by a pause, which was partly procedural, partly cultural. Dinner was served, but conversations continued, albeit without structure.<\/p>\n What followed after that was more intense: Multiple rounds, drafts exchanged, and positions restated. Behind the scenes, there had already been dozens of calls between leaders, red lines redrawn and tremendous pressure from capitals \u2013 Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n Those familiar with the discussions say progress came in fragments \u2013 small areas of convergence, followed by immediate pushback elsewhere. At times, there were indications that a framework might be within reach. At others, the gaps appeared to widen.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a cycle,\u201d one person close to the process said.<\/p>\n Throughout, communication lines with capitals remained active. The American delegation was in repeated contact with Washington, including with President Donald Trump. Iranian negotiators, too, were reportedly relaying developments back home.<\/p>\n For Pakistan\u2019s leadership \u2013 prime minister Sharif, foreign minister Ishaq Dar, and army chief Asim Munir \u2013 the days leading up to the talks had already been consumed by preparation. Officials say sleep had been scarce, and coordination was non-stop. The objective, they insist, was modest: not a final agreement, but the outline of one which prevents escalation.<\/p>\n By the time the final stretch began, expectations had shifted. There had been discussion of extending the talks into a second day. Iranian officials indicated they were willing to stay. But the American side chose to conclude \u2013 from the outside, it felt abrupt and shocking.<\/p>\n When JD Vance emerged, his assessment was direct. \u201cWe have been at it now for 21 hours,\u201d he said. \u201cThe good news is that we\u2019ve had substantive discussions. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n He framed the outcome in strategic terms. The United States, he said, had made its position clear \u2013 particularly on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon\u2026 not just now, but for the long term. We haven\u2019t seen that yet\u201d. He added that Washington had presented what he described as its \u201cfinal and best offer\u201d. Washington\u2019s message was: We were flexible, they refused.<\/p>\n Iranian officials did not contest the duration or the intensity of the talks. But their interpretation differed sharply. Iran\u2019s ambassador in Islamabad described the negotiations as \u201cnot an event, but a process\u201d \u2013 one that had, in his words, \u201claid the foundation\u201d for future engagement.<\/p>\n Among the issues cited were demands linked to the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear material and broader regional influence. And behind that measured language, the messaging hardened. State-affiliated outlets, including Fars and Tasnim, characterised the US position as excessive, arguing that Washington had sought concessions it had failed to secure through military pressure.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Iran\u2019s foreign ministry framed the talks in more ideological terms.\u201cFor us, diplomacy is a continuation of struggle,\u201d he said, referencing what he described as past \u201ctransgressions\u201d by the United States. At the same time, he left space for continuation \u2013 stating that progress would depend on \u201cseriousness and good faith\u201d from the other side.<\/p>\n The US had joined Israel in attacking Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities last year.<\/p>\n For Pakistan, the public posture remained cautious. \u201cWe thank both sides for participating,\u201d finance minister Dar said. \u201cWe hope they maintain a positive spirit. Pakistan will continue to facilitate\u201d.<\/p>\n No victory claim, no reference to any failure \u2013 just continuity.<\/p>\n Privately, officials acknowledge the constraints. There are competing pressures \u2013 from within Iran, from within the US, and from regional actors with their own stakes in the outcome. One government source described these as \u201cdetractors on all sides,\u201d capable of influencing both pace and direction.<\/p>\n Among those frequently mentioned, though not publicly, is Israel and its prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some point to a \u201cZionist\u201d broader strategic calculus in a prolonged regional confrontation. Views which reflect the wider geopolitical layering around the talks.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are detractors in Tehran. Detractors in Washington. But the biggest impediment to peace is Israel \u2014 which benefits from perpetual conflict,\u201d a senior source told us.<\/p>\n By the following day, Islamabad had not fully returned to normal. As security remained in place, traffic diversions continued and the Serena Hotel stayed under tight control. There were indications \u2013 unconfirmed, but repeated \u2013 that lower-level contacts had not entirely stopped.<\/p>\n At the Convention Centre, where journalists had been gathered during the talks, the atmosphere had been markedly different. Large screens, stable connections, free-flowing chai, coffee and food \u2013 but little in the way of substantive information. In a country where unofficial comments often find their way into headlines, the absence of leaks was notable. \u201cIt was unusually disciplined,\u201d one reporter said.<\/p>\n As the aircraft departed, carrying the delegations out of Islamabad, the outcome remains unchanged.<\/p>\n But in a conflict defined by distrust, ending with no agreement, no framework, but also \u2013 no breakdown; is considered positive diplomatic progress.<\/p>\n The door closed for now, but it is not locked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Islamabad, Pakistan \u2013 The capital woke up on Saturday to lockdown: Roads were sealed, checkpoints appeared, and more than 10,000 security personnel were deployed ahead of \u00a0ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran. The Iranian delegation arrived late on Friday night, their movement swift and largely unseen. We followed the flight en route to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-canada-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n
\u2018To talk or not to talk\u2019 was the question<\/h2>\n
The long night<\/h2>\n
Then it all stalled<\/h2>\n
The day after<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"