Islamabad ‘gears up' for likely US-Iran talks second round amid Middle East tensions

• VVIP routes undergoing repairs and beautification.
• Red Zone offices to remain closed.
• Traffic plan prepared for high-level visits.

ISLAMABAD: Authorities have stepped up preparations in the federal capital for a potential second round of US-Iran peace talks, with extensive security and logistical arrangements underway despite no final date being announced, The News reported.

In addition to negotiating teams of both countries, several world leaders are expected to attend the possible agreement-signing ceremony, including US President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

According to sources, the final date for these talks in Islamabad has not yet been decided, but there is a strong likelihood they will take place by end of next week. For security, the services of the Punjab Police will also be acquired.

However, according to CNN, the new round of talks between the US and Iran is expected to be held in Islamabad on Monday. The negotiating teams are likely to arrive in the capital on Sunday, the American broadcaster added, citing Iranian sources familiar with the matter.

Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Office have issued special instructions to the Chief Commissioner and Chairman CDA Sohail Ashraf and Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi.

Work is ongoing along the VVIP route from Nur Khan Airbase to the Prime Minister’s House. This includes lane marking and patchwork on Express Highway, Murree Road and Shahrah-e-Dastoor.

Curbstones are being painted, and CDA’s Environment Wing is carrying out landscaping. Decorative plants are being planted along the route and cleanliness work is in progress.

Municipal Administration Directorate has been instructed to prepare flags of visiting countries, and Islamabad will be decorated with welcome flags for the occasion. All offices in the Red Zone will remain closed, and traffic will be diverted to alternate routes during the talks.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump said that if a deal with Iran to end the war is reached and signed in Islamabad, he might go, and that Iran has agreed to almost everything.

"Pakistan has been great. I might go if the deal is signed in Islamabad. The Field Marshal [Asim Munir] has been great. The prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif] has been really great in Pakistan. So I might go," said Trump.

The previous meeting in Islamabad, held three days after last Wednesday's ceasefire announcement, marked the first direct encounter between American and Iranian officials in more than a decade and the most senior engagement since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf led their respective delegations in the last round of talks to work out a slew of issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, a major transit ⁠point for global energy supplies that Iran has effectively blocked but the US has vowed to reopen, as well as Iran's nuclear programme and international sanctions on Tehran.

The trilateral ‘Islamabad Talks’ lasted nearly 21 hours after beginning on the afternoon of April 11, reflecting the complexity and high stakes involved.

Despite extensive discussions, the first round ended without a formal agreement. Officials in Islamabad, however, viewed the meeting as a significant step in opening direct channels of communication between Washington and Tehran.