An Iranian delegation landed here in the wee hours of Saturday for talks with the US, as the world keeps its fingers crossed for an agreement to end the conflict between the two sides.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while announcing a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, had said that the US and Iran would hold talks in Islamabad, tagging the presidents of the US and Iran in his statement on X.
The Iranian delegation led by its Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, would participate in the Islamabad Talks slated to begin later Saturday, after the arrival of the US delegation led by Vice President J D Vance, which was on its way to Islamabad.
The Pakistan foreign office said the delegation from Iran was received upon its arrival by Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshall Syed Asim Munir, and Minister for Interior, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
“A high-powered delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran led by Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad today to participate in Islamabad Talks,” the foreign office said in a statement.
Expressing hope that the two sides would engage constructively, Dar reiterated Pakistan's desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching a lasting and durable solution to the conflict in West Asia, according to the statement.
The delegation came amid speculation making rounds on social media, casting doubts on the visit by the Iranians due to the strikes by Israel in Lebanon.
There were some reports quoting Iranian media that the delegation would participate in talks if the conditions agreed in the ceasefire deal were fulfilled.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency had reported that negotiations would not begin until the “preconditions” were met, echoing a message from Ghalibaf before leaving for Islamabad.
“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties are yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X.
