Pakistani authorities have placed Rawalpindi and Islamabad on high alert, deploying more than 10,000 police officers, 400 elite commandos, and 100 rooftop snipers as Islamabad prepares to host a second round of nuclear diplomacy talks between the United States and Iran. Advance security teams from both countries are expected to begin arriving in the capital on Sunday to coordinate protection arrangements with local forces, though no official dates for the talks have been confirmed. The extraordinary security operation — which includes sealing the capital's Red Zone, ordering hotels and guesthouses to close, and blocking major road corridors — underscores Pakistan's emerging role as a neutral diplomatic broker between Washington and Tehran, a position analysts say could reshape the country's strategic identity in the broader region.
Mosaic News
Pakistan deploys over 10,000 security personnel ahead of Iran-US talks in Islamabad[Updated]
President Trump reversed course Wednesday, announcing an open-ended extension of the ceasefire — hours after declaring he opposed any extension — citing a request from Army Chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and describing the Iranian government as "seriously fractured." The US naval blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place throughout the extension, with Trump conditioning the truce's continuation on Tehran submitting a "unified proposal" and completing negotiations "one way or the other." Iran did not immediately respond to the announcement, with the semi-official Tasnim news agency saying Tehran's position would be "officially announced later." The extension coincided with the US Treasury Department imposing a fresh round of sanctions targeting 14 individuals and entities accused of helping Iran acquire weapons components, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framing the penalties as part of what he called "Economic Fury" against Tehran.
Pakistan's army chief traveled to Tehran last week for three days of talks aimed at salvaging the second round of negotiations after Iran reversed its decision to participate following the US Navy's seizure of an Iranian cargo ship, which Tehran denounced as 'piracy' with 'grave consequences.' Iran has cited three specific grievances threatening its attendance: the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, the seizure of the Iranian ship, and delays in the Lebanon ceasefire. Separately, a Lebanon ceasefire was announced by Trump after US-brokered direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese government officials in Washington, with Iran claiming its pressure prompted the agreement — a link Trump denied. As of Wednesday morning, Iran had still not confirmed whether its delegation would travel to Islamabad, even as the American team was reported to have arrived in the Pakistani capital.
Iran had not confirmed its participation in the second round of talks as of Monday morning, with rising tensions casting uncertainty over Tehran's attendance. Unlike the first round held in Islamabad on April 11, the upcoming negotiations are expected to span multiple days, with mediators working toward a memorandum of understanding that would effectively extend the ceasefire and provide up to 60 additional days for negotiators to secure a longer-term peace deal. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Ambassador Natalie Baker at the American Embassy on Monday to brief her on security arrangements, with senior officials from the FIA, Islamabad's chief commissioner, and the city's police chief also in attendance; Baker praised Pakistan's role in reducing regional tensions.
President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that US negotiators will travel to Islamabad on Monday evening for a second round of talks, though he did not name the officials leading the delegation. The announcement came as tensions flared over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran reimposing control over the waterway and reportedly firing on vessels after accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire by maintaining its naval blockade of Iranian ports — a charge the US disputes. Trump threatened to destroy every Iranian power plant and bridge if Tehran does not accept what he called a "very fair and reasonable" deal, as the Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire, which paused hostilities that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, is set to expire Wednesday.