Pakistan Hosts First Direct US-Iran Peace Talks in Islamabad

The Government of Pakistan is hosting the first direct negotiations between the United States and Iran since the start of their conflict on February 28, 2026. Following a temporary 14-day ceasefire brokered by Islamabad on April 7, delegations from both nations arrived in the Pakistani capital on April 11 to determine if the truce can transition into a stable peace.

To secure the summit, authorities implemented a high-alert security lockdown in Islamabad's Red Zone, closing government offices, schools, and major thoroughfares. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the dialogue as a proud moment for the Muslim world, while former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned that the international community lacks a Plan B should diplomacy fail, citing the catastrophic potential of a large-scale war.

Significant hurdles remain, including a deep trust deficit and disagreements over the scope of the ceasefire. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqher Ghalibaf conditioned further progress on a real deal that includes the release of frozen assets and a ceasefire in Lebanon. While the U.S. and Israel maintain that the truce does not extend to Lebanon, Prime Minister Sharif asserted that Lebanon was part of the proposal. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted the complexity of the situation, suggesting the U.S. is managing different forms of involvement in the war rather than a binary choice between peace and conflict.