Islamabad has become the setting for direct peace talks between the United States and Iran, with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance among the American delegation. The meetings follow weeks of intensive diplomacy by Pakistani leaders, who promoted the capital as neutral ground and are credited by both Washington and Tehran with helping secure a two-week ceasefire.
The summit has put the normally quiet city in the international spotlight. Officials prepared with heightened security, cleared hotel rooms, a government-declared two-day holiday and billboards bearing Iranian, American and Pakistani flags. Roads leading into the diplomatic Red Zone were reinforced with barriers, barbed wire and checkpoints, causing significant commuter delays.
Many residents expressed surprise at Pakistan’s sudden prominence. 19-year-old Khizra Zaheer said she was surprised by the country’s influence. Analysts say Pakistan’s role evolved quickly as Islamabad rallied regional partners — including Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China — to back its peace initiative and then presented a ceasefire proposal. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s urgent intervention, followed by ceasefire announcements that highlighted both Sharif and army chief Asim Munir, demonstrated a rare trust by both sides, according to Rasheed Wali Janjua of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute.
Now Pakistan faces the tougher task of converting the fragile pause into a durable settlement during the talks. If it succeeds, the effort could alter global perceptions of Pakistan even as the country contends with domestic political and economic challenges, said Ishtiaq Ahmad, professor emeritus at Quaid-i-Azam University.
Potential sticking points on the agenda include security in the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon — an issue Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, has urged Pakistan to help address despite the ceasefire. Pakistan’s longstanding policy of not recognizing Israel and avoiding moves that could soften that stance also limits Islamabad’s options, noted Daniel Markey of the Stimson Center.
Iran’s delegation is led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi; Sharif and foreign minister Ishaq Dar are expected to facilitate talks. Key figures in Pakistan’s back-channel diplomacy have included army chief Asim Munir and National Security Advisor Asim Malik, with many mediation details kept confidential until the ceasefire was announced.
For many residents, short-term inconveniences such as closed roads and security checks are acceptable for hosting peace talks. Commuter Muhammad Waseem summed up the mood: ‘Peace talks are going on, so for this we should compromise.’ Officials hope the city’s diplomatic infrastructure and security preparations will help produce a lasting breakthrough.