ISLAMABAD: A U.S. government plane carrying top U.S. officials landed in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Saturday for peace talks with Iran, Reuters confirmed.
The talks, which is being hosted by Islamabad, would be the first direct high-level engagement between Washington and Tehran since 1979.
The US voice president JD Vance and his delegation arrived Islamabad under tight security arrangements ahead of the talks. The delegation includes Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
After disembarking at the Nur Khan Air Base, Vance was met by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Washington and Tehran are due to begin negotiations seeking to end the six-week-old Iran war that has killed thousands of people across the Middle East, disrupted energy supplies, fed inflation and slowed the global economy.
Earlier, Iranian’s officials arrived in Pakistan early Saturday to participate in important talks with the United States, aimed at securing a lasting solution of their ongoing war.
The 14-member delegation led by Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, former IRGC commander Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr and others.
As per the Iran’s Tasnim news agency, other negotiators include Supreme National Defence Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian and central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
JD Vance, speaking as he headed to Pakistan, stated he expected a positive outcome but added: “If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive.”
Vance said Washington’s conditional openness to dialogue, stating the United States was prepared to engage if Iran negotiates in good faith.
Islamabad has effectively been placed under an unprecedented security lockdown ahead of the talks. Main routes have been sealed, security personnel heavily deployed and surveillance heightened to ensure the safety of visiting dignitaries. Authorities say the talks will take place at a secure, undisclosed location, away from the media spotlight.
Also read: War de-escalation: Senior Iranian officials land in Islamabad to tackle global turmoil
