There are no preparations underway yet for fresh United States-Iran talks in Islamabad this week, Pakistani officials said on Tuesday, while Iranian diplomats said messages had been exchanged between the two sides through Pakistan since the first round of negotiations.
Direct talks were held on Saturday, days after a ceasefire announcement, between US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, marking the most senior engagement between the two countries since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
On Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing multiple sources that no firm date had been set for a possible second round but delegations were keeping Friday through Sunday open and that Pakistan was in contact with both sides about the timing of future talks.
The Pakistani foreign office and information ministries did not respond to queries on whether a fresh round of talks was planned this week but an official at the Iranian embassy in Islamabad who declined to be named told Arab News:
“The coming rounds of talks can come anytime and anywhere but nothing is official as of now.”
Another source at the embassy said since the breakdown of the last talks, messages had been exchanged between Tehran and Washington through Islamabad.
The Iranian embassy’s press section responded to written questions by Arab News regarding fresh talks this week: “We have not received anything official as of now.”
Pakistani officials also indicated there were currently no signs of the extensive logistical and security planning that had preceded last weekend’s meeting.
“Do you see any preparation [for another meeting]? At the moment it’s social media frenzy, everyone is speculating,” a Pakistani official familiar with security arrangements for the last round of talks told Arab News.
A second Pakistani official from the foreign ministry said there had been no confirmation of dates or venue for any follow-up talks.
“If these were finalized, there would be some sort of communication in regards to preparations,” the official said.
During the previous round over the weekend, authorities declared local holidays in Islamabad, which was in virtual lockdown, restricted movement in key areas and deployed large numbers of military, paramilitary and police personnel across the city.
A dedicated media center was also set up to facilitate hundreds of local and international journalists, who were transported to the venue under government security arrangements, while major roads leading to key sites were sealed.
Officials said such measures would typically be visible in advance if another round of talks was imminent as early as Friday, suggesting that any renewed negotiations, if agreed, could either take longer to materialize or be arranged on very short notice.
The first round of talks in Islamabad stretched for more than 20 hours but ended without a breakthrough as divisions persisted on core issues.
Negotiators clashed over a range of major sticking points, including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route that Tehran has effectively restricted during the conflict and Washington has vowed to reopen.
The United States has pushed for strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activities, including proposals to curb or halt uranium enrichment, while Iran has insisted on its right to enrichment and demanded the lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of its assets.
Differences also emerged over the scope of the two-week ceasefire announced last Tuesday, with Iran seeking its extension to include Israeli operations in Lebanon, a demand rejected by Washington, further complicating efforts to turn the truce into a broader settlement.