Pakistan to Host US and Iranian Delegations for Peace Talks in Islamabad

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that Pakistan will host delegations from the United States and Iran in Islamabad this weekend following the declaration of a ceasefire in the Middle East.

Expressing gratitude to the leadership of both nations, he invited their delegations to Islamabad via social media platform X for decisive talks to resolve the dispute on Friday, April 10, 2026.

Having recently cultivated a close relationship with US President Donald Trump while remaining sensitive to neighboring Iran, Pakistan has emerged as a mediator between Tehran and Washington. Prime Minister Sharif expressed confidence that the 'Islamabad Talks' would succeed in achieving lasting peace.

Both Tehran and Washington have stated that they agreed to a two-week ceasefire just one hour before the deadline set by President Donald Trump to destroy Iran expired.

The conflict began after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. Following the assassination of the supreme Iranian leader on February 28, Tehran responded with retaliatory strikes against Gulf nations and Israel.

Lebanon was also drawn into the conflict after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah attacked Israel.

Sharif stated that the ceasefire has been implemented in regions including Lebanon. However, Israel has insisted that the ceasefire is not in effect in that area, claiming it is continuing operations against Hezbollah.

The temporary ceasefire was reportedly reached following calls from mediators, including Pakistan, to prevent Trump's threat to destroy all of Iran's power plants and bridges.

Turkey and Egypt have also been helping to mediate in recent days, while AFP reported, citing Trump, that China helped bring Iran to the negotiating table.