Pakistan continues preparations for US-Iran talks as Tehran remains cautious

• Red Zone in Islamabad, housing government offices, diplomatic enclave sealed

Pakistan continues preparations for a potential second round of talks between the US and Iran, as the two-week ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review security and administrative arrangements for the expected talks.

While the White House said Vice President JD Vance will lead the US delegation, Tehran has yet to announce if it will send its team, and has demanded an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports.

Officials in Islamabad said full preparations are in place for the second round, and security arrangements continue to remain in place across the heavily fortified Red Zone, which houses government offices and foreign missions.

“Hope is still alive as security and administrative arrangements are being made, but we cannot not say when the talks will take place -- today, tomorrow, or the next day,” a Pakistani official told Anadolu.

The Islamabad administration sealed the Red Zone and ordered all schools and offices to shift to work from home.

Authorities remain on high alert and are preparing for the arrival of foreign delegations.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefed Prime Minister Sharif about his meetings with the US and Iranian ambassadors in Islamabad a day earlier, as well as on the security arrangements made for the expected delegations.

No threat, force on talks

Iran's ambassador to Islamabad struck a defiant tone on social media, reinforcing Tehran's official position.

"It's a truth universally acknowledged that a single country in possession of a large civilization will not negotiate under threat and force," Reza Amiri Moghadam wrote on US social media platform X.

"This is a substantial, Islamic and theological principle. I wish the US would have perceived," he added.

A second Pakistani official told Anadolu that all arrangements have been completed, and authorities are now simply waiting for the arrival of delegations, which are expected today."

The US and Israel initiated joint military attacks on Tehran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation by Iran across the Middle East. Pakistan secured a 14-day ceasefire on April 8.

US President Donald Trump said it was “highly unlikely” that the truce would be extended if a deal is not reached with Iran.