Large convoys of black SUVs sweep through unusually quiet streets as the city is on high alert. Police and military checkpoints have multiplied across major arteries. Paramilitary rangers stand watch outside government buildings, their presence a visible reminder that the stakes are high as officials from the warring parties gather in Pakistan for the highly sensitive talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Authorities have placed parts of the capital on high alert, tightening security around the Red Zone, Islamabad’s heavily guarded diplomatic and government district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iranian officials and the US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance are expected to reach Islamabad on Friday, while talks are likely to be held starting on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several roads have been sealed, schools in nearby sectors have shifted to remote learning, and government offices in key areas have announced temporary closures to ease movement restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It feels like the city is holding its breath,” said Fatima Ali, who works at a private hospital near Constitution Avenue, where government buildings are situated. “We have been told that Thursday and Friday are holidays. Security convoys are everywhere.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to reports, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, are expected to be involved in the discussions, although the final list of attendees has not been formally confirmed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The agenda is equally fluid, but regional de-escalation; maritime security, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> and broader tensions between Washington and Tehran are expected to dominate the talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Pakistani official who wanted to remain anonymous and who is engaged in the preparations told DW, “We want the discussions to go swiftly. We are seriously engaged with both parties and don’t want to spoil the talks. We are facilitators and mediators and wish to reach a peaceful resolution. It’s up to\u00a0Iran\u00a0and the\u00a0US<\/a>to share any developments or announcements about the talks.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Analysts note that Islamabad’s hosting of the talks underscores its strategic importance at a time of mounting Middle East tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts have earned it credibility as a middle power that is showing agency as an active stakeholder in the future of the broader region,”\u00a0 Farwa Aamer, Director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, told DW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Being able to pull this off between two major adversaries and amid an environment of serious trust deficit is a major diplomatic win for a country that was up until last year seen at the peripheries in the international arena,” Aamer said, adding that Pakistan’s “relations and understanding of Iran and its grown ties with President Trump\u2026 have helped the diplomatic outreach process at this critical moment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Israel and the US attacked Iran in late February, sparking a war that has killed thousands and devastated the global economy. Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy corridor, triggering major oil and gas shortages, which led to dramatic price increases across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistani intervention led to the parties agreeing to a two-week truce<\/a> on Tuesday night \u2014 but only after Trump had warned that a “whole civilization will die” if Iran did not cooperate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Islamabad talks, I believe, could ultimately pave the way for a broader agreement on de-escalation in the coming weeks,” Zahid Husain, a political analyst based in Islamabad, told DW. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aamer, too, says the talks are vital. The fact that the two sides agreed to come together in Islamabad is a major development in itself, according to Aamer, but the real breakthrough hinges on what happens over the weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The talks could make or break; let’s hope for the former,”\u00a0she said. “Pakistan’s mediation role, along with that of other players like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and China, could remain important in providing a sounding board, but the two conflicting parties have all the say in determining the outcome.”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aamer says a lot is riding on the talks between the two parties, who will have to discuss controversial issues like the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s continued heavy shelling of Lebanon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “If they reach some understanding, it will help stabilize the situation, but in case the talks collapse and the conflict continues, it will only further create economic and geopolitical chaos,” remarked Aamer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Analyst Husain is optimistic; he is not expecting a breakthrough, but has hope that the ceasefire could be extended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I [see] indications that some positive outcomes could be achieved, including the extension of the ceasefire and the possibility of additional rounds of negotiations planned for the next few weeks,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ahead of the crucial meeting, Islamabad’s usual hum feels subdued. Streetlights cast long shadows across unusually empty boulevards near the diplomatic enclave. Helicopters occasionally cut through the silence overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, the city waits, secured, scrutinized, and suspended between tension and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “As long as they are talking, there is still a chance,” said Ali, the doctor, glancing at another passing security convoy. “Everyone here just wants stability. We have seen enough instability already.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Soldiers](\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76733304_900.jpg\")
US-Iran talks expected to start on Saturday<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In focus: de-escalation and Strait of Hormuz<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Cargo](\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76728274_900.jpg\")
Pakistan takes center stage as negotiator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Remnants](\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76735468_900.jpg\")
Talks could \u2018pave the way for broader agreement on de-escalation.’<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Challenges ahead for US-Iran negotiations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tensions are running high in Islamabad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n