Pakistan, the mediator, expected to start talks late this afternoon
Serena Hotel likely venue…tight security with military and police deployed
Vice President Vance, Speaker Ghalibaf and other top officials converge
If talks succeed, they would be the highest-level meeting since ties were cut in 1979
Serena Hotel likely venue…tight security with military and police deployed
Vice President Vance, Speaker Ghalibaf and other top officials converge
If talks succeed, they would be the highest-level meeting since ties were cut in 1979
Pakistan’s foreign ministry released images on the morning of the 11th (local time) showing Vice President Vance arriving by private aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase, just outside Islamabad.
Already on the ground were U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son‑in‑law, who greeted Vance on arrival. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency put the size of the U.S. contingent at about 300, including security and support personnel.
International outlets report the talks are likely to be held at Islamabad’s five‑star Serena Hotel. Barricades have been erected on roads leading to the government “Red Zone,” and security forces, including military and police units, have been deployed across the city.
Iran’s delegation — featuring Speaker Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — arrived in Islamabad the previous night aboard a Meraj Air civilian flight.
The New York Times described Iran’s team as large and serious, noting it includes at least 70 officials such as Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati.
Senior Iranian officials told the NYT that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei granted Speaker Ghalibaf authority to either conclude or suspend the talks.
Tasnim, citing Saudi outlet Al‑Hadath, reported the talks were expected to begin after 5 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Korea time).
Delegation leaders from both Tehran and Washington held separate briefings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to coordinate logistics and agenda details ahead of the talks.
CNN, citing a source familiar with the discussions, said negotiators expect the process could take several days. Axios warned that reaching a deal may take weeks or months and that any initial two‑week cease‑fire would likely need to be extended.
Tasnim cautioned those timelines are not final, saying current plans call for the talks to begin tonight if they proceed and that they may run for just one day at this stage.
CNN also reported the parties are likely to use a mix of indirect and direct channels: first agreeing on an agenda through mediator Pakistan before moving to face‑to‑face sessions later in the day.
If the delegations meet in person, it would mark the highest‑level engagement between Washington and Tehran since diplomatic ties were severed in 1979 and the first official face‑to‑face talks between the two governments since the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
