ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s capital is hosting peace talks between the United States and Iran, with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance among the American delegation. The meetings are the culmination of weeks of intensive diplomacy by Pakistan’s leaders, who promoted Islamabad as the venue while positioning the country as a mediator credited by both Washington and Tehran for helping secure a two-week ceasefire.
The summit has put normally quiet Islamabad in the global spotlight. City preparations for high-profile delegations included heightened security, cleared hotel rooms and a government-declared two-day holiday. Billboards displaying Iranian, American and Pakistani flags have appeared around town, while roads into the diplomatic Red Zone were fortified with barriers, barbed wire and police checkpoints, creating major commuter disruptions.
Many residents expressed surprise at Pakistan’s prominent role. “I’m a bit surprised,” said 19-year-old Khizra Zaheer. “When did Pakistan get so influential?” Analysts say the shift from passive go-between to active broker unfolded over the past three weeks as Pakistan pulled in regional players — including Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China — to help back its peace push and then presented a ceasefire plan. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s urgent intervention was followed by ceasefire announcements that singled out Sharif and army chief Asim Munir, a rare concurrence that underscored the trust both sides placed in Pakistan, Rasheed Wali Janjua of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute said.
Now Pakistan faces the harder task of translating the fragile pause into a durable settlement during the Islamabad talks. If successful, the effort could reshape global perceptions of Pakistan, said Ishtiaq Ahmad, professor emeritus at Quaid-i-Azam University, even as the country continues to confront domestic political and economic instability.
The agenda has potential sticking points: the Strait of Hormuz and the continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, asked Pakistan to help end despite the ceasefire declaration. Pakistan’s longstanding policy toward Israel — not recognizing the state and avoiding public steps that might soften that stance — also constrains Islamabad’s options, said Daniel Markey of the Stimson Center, noting such moves are politically unpopular at home.
Islamabad’s talks are focused on direct U.S.-Iran dialogue. Iran’s delegation is led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi; Pakistan’s Sharif and foreign minister Ishaq Dar are expected to facilitate. Key Pakistani figures in the back-channel diplomacy have included army chief Asim Munir and National Security Advisor Asim Malik, with many details of their mediation kept tightly under wraps until the ceasefire was announced.
For many Islamabad residents, the short-term inconveniences — closed roads, diverted traffic and security checks — are a small price to pay for hosting peace negotiations. “Peace talks are going on, so for this we should compromise,” said Muhammad Waseem, a commuter affected by the roadblocks. The city, designed around government institutions and embassies, has the infrastructure to handle high-security events, and officials hope the talks will produce a lasting breakthrough.