JD Vance and Bagher Ghalibaf are likely to lead their respective delegations once again
Pakistan has begun preparations for a likely second round of talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad to end a war that has paralyzed energy supplies and daily life in the broader Middle East region, two government sources familiar with the developments said. anadolu On Wednesday.
Pakistan took center stage as it negotiated a 14-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, followed by high-stakes talks in Islamabad attended by senior delegations from the two countries. Although the talks did not yield the desired results, the ceasefire remains intact and speculation about a second round of negotiations continues to grow.
“Preparations have already started yesterday (Tuesday), particularly to ensure foolproof security measures,” the sources said.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday struck an optimistic tone about the prospects for resuming direct talks between the United States and Iran, saying they could restart in Pakistan within the next two days. However, the deadlines are unlikely to be met.
“Something could be happening in the next couple of days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump said, referring to likely talks with Iran and Pakistan as a venue.
However, sources in Islamabad said the much-awaited meeting is expected to begin late this week or early next week.
They added that the luxury hotel, which hosted the first round of Islamabad talks, “will again welcome foreign guests.”
Pakistan hosted delegations led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf over the weekend for the highest-level direct talks between Washington and Tehran since 1979.
Pakistani sources said Vance and Ghalibaf are likely to lead their delegations in the long-awaited second round of talks.
The negotiations, called the Islamabad Talks, ended inconclusively on Sunday.
Pakistani sources added the possibility of low-level talks between US and Iranian officials before “paving the way for the high-level meeting.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Ishaq Dar are currently out of the country due to their regional tour until Saturday.
“Therefore, the chances of a high-level meeting this week are unlikely,” a source said, referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East.
Pakistan hosted talks after reaching a two-week ceasefire between the United States, Israel and Iran on April 8, which still holds.
The joint US-Israeli war with Iran left some 3,300 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced in Iran, while 13 US service members were killed and hundreds more wounded in the 39-day war from February 28.
