Efforts to revive dialogue between the United States and Iran in Islamabad appear to be slipping away, with fresh reports indicating that Tehran is still not prepared to meet the visiting American delegation. According to Kamran Khan, chairman of Pakistan-based media outlet ARY News, uncertainty has intensified around the scheduled meeting aimed at easing tensions in West Asia. In a post shared on X, Khan said informed sources revealed that prospects for the second round of discussions have grown bleak. “Prospects for the resumption of the second round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad today are rapidly fading, as Tehran is still not ready to meet the U.S. delegation, which was expected to arrive late tonight from Washington,” he stated.
Khan further noted that Iran has put forward a firm precondition linked to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, insisting that Washington must first lift the naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports. “Iran continues to insist that the Americans end their blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a precondition for opening the second round of negotiations,” his post stated.
High-level US delegation awaits green signal
The US team, headed by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff along with senior adviser and President Donald Trumpโs son-in-law Jared Kushner, is scheduled to travel to Pakistan for the talks. This development follows Iranโs Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in Islamabad on Friday, which initially raised hopes for a renewed push toward dialogue between Tehran and Washington.
Islamabad under heavy security lockdown
It is to be noted here that the Pakistani capital is currently placed under what has been described as a suffocating security lockdown. Major roads have been sealed and the high-security Red Zone has been surrounded by a strict security cordon, according to officials. The previous round of discussions, which extended for 21 hours, ended without substantial progress. That meeting was led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker MB Galibaf.
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