The BRICS TimesIran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi is set to fly into Pakistan’s capital with a small team, raising hopes for a fresh round of negotiations between Tehran and Washington, with a US logistics team already waiting on the ground.
Iran’s FM Expected in Islamabad Tonight
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to land in Islamabad late on Friday night. He will bring a small delegation with him for high-level, Pakistan-mediated discussions. Pakistani government sources and an Iranian source both confirmed the visit. The expected arrival marks a major shift after Tehran had repeatedly refused to return to the table.
A US logistics and security team has already arrived in Islamabad. They are on the ground ahead of the planned second round of talks. Neither Washington nor Tehran has made any official public statement about the visit so far.
Pakistan’s Mediation at the Heart of It
Pakistan has been working overtime to pull both sides back together. Pakistani mediators are now cautiously optimistic that a second round of US-Iran talks will take place. The development follows a flurry of high-level phone calls between Araghchi and Pakistan’s top officials.
Iran’s Foreign Minister spoke separately with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Both calls focused on “regional developments and issues related to the ceasefire,” according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr News agency. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Dar “underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and engagement to address outstanding issues, in order to advance regional peace and stability at the earliest.” Araghchi, in turn, “appreciated Pakistan’s consistent and constructive facilitation role,” and both sides agreed to remain in close contact.
First Round Ended Without a Deal
The first round of talks, held on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad, lasted a gruelling 21 hours. It ended without any breakthrough agreement. Key sticking points included Iran’s nuclear programme, control over the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and frozen Iranian assets abroad.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation, said it raised “forward-looking” proposals. However, the US delegation failed to earn Iran’s trust during those sessions. “The US has understood Iran’s logic and principles, and it’s time for them to decide whether they can earn our trust or not,” Ghalibaf said.
US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American side, confirmed no deal was reached. “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” he said after leaving Islamabad.
Tensions Have Only Grown Since
The weeks after the first round of talks brought fresh friction. The US imposed a naval blockade on Iran. An Iranian container ship was also seized by the US military. Tehran pointed to both moves as ceasefire violations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said deep mistrust of Washington remains the biggest hurdle. He accused the US of taking “contradictory actions” while claiming to seek peace. Iran’s state broadcaster flatly denied any delegation was travelling to Pakistan, even as behind-the-scenes movement pointed the other way.
A Race Against the Clock
Pakistan has been racing to revive talks before the fragile ceasefire expires. President Trump extended the truce by 24 hours and later declared a broader extension after hosting a second round of Israel-Lebanon ceasefire talks. He told reporters “Don’t rush me” when asked for a timeline on resolving the Iran war.
Trump also announced a three-week extension of Lebanon’s ceasefire on Thursday. This addressed one of Iran’s key sticking points, as Tehran had insisted the truce cover Lebanon as well.
Security in Islamabad has been tightened sharply. Key roads into the capital’s Red Zone are sealed. Heavy security cordons are in place ahead of any potential new round of negotiations.
What Comes Next
If Araghchi’s arrival is confirmed and talks resume, Pakistani officials hope to build on the first round by framing the ongoing effort as a broader “Islamabad process.” This framing is designed to keep diplomatic momentum going, even without an immediate agreement.
Pakistan is “the only actor that has military and security ties with both Washington and Tehran,” one regional analyst noted. How Islamabad manages the narrative around any fresh engagement could prove just as important as the negotiations themselves.
