Iranian and US Delegations to Hold Peace Talks in Islamabad on Saturday

ISLAMABAD — Iranian and American delegations are set to convene in the Pakistani capital on Saturday for a rare round of direct peace talks, in what diplomats describe as one of the most significant attempts at reducing tensions between Tehran and Washington in recent years. The meeting, hosted by Islamabad, underscores Pakistan's growing role as a regional mediator at a moment of deepening volatility across the Middle East.

According to reports circulated by Anadolu Agency and regional outlets, the American delegation is expected to include senior figures reportedly led by Jared Kushner, while the Iranian side will be headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The choice of Islamabad as the venue reflects Pakistan's careful balancing act between its strategic partnership with Washington and its long-standing neighbourly ties with Iran, as well as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's push to position the country as a diplomatic bridge.

The talks come against a backdrop of mounting friction in the Gulf, sporadic escalations involving Iran-aligned groups across Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and stalled efforts to revive the nuclear framework that collapsed after Washington's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018. Officials familiar with the preparations said the agenda is expected to cover the nuclear file, sanctions relief, maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, and the broader trajectory of the Gaza war, which has reshaped regional alignments over the past year.

For Gulf states, the meeting carries particular weight. Qatar, which has repeatedly served as a mediator between Tehran and Washington — most notably in the 2023 prisoner exchange and earlier back-channel contacts — has consistently urged dialogue over confrontation. Doha's message, reiterated by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in recent public remarks, has centred on the conviction that regional stability cannot be achieved without direct engagement with Iran. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which restored ties with Tehran under Chinese and Omani mediation, are also watching the Islamabad meeting closely.

Analysts caution that expectations should remain measured. Previous indirect exchanges through Oman and Qatar have produced narrow, transactional outcomes rather than sweeping breakthroughs, and several unresolved files — including uranium enrichment levels, regional proxy networks, and frozen Iranian assets — remain deeply contested. Still, the mere convening of senior officials from both capitals on neutral ground represents a notable shift after months of escalating rhetoric.

Neither Washington nor Tehran had issued formal statements confirming the full composition of the delegations at the time of publication. Pakistani officials indicated that additional details would be released closer to the meeting, which is scheduled to take place behind closed doors in Islamabad on Saturday.