The Pakistani capital, Islamabad, is set to host negotiations between the United States and Iran on Saturday, April 11, as part of a two-week ceasefire to end the conflict that began on February 28. However, deep mistrust and regional tensions, including ongoing Israeli bombings in Lebanon, threaten the talks. Antagonistic claims from Tehran and Washington, as well as doubts about the sustainability of the ceasefire, also cast a shadow over the process.
Who will be participating? Amid widespread mistrust and uncertainty, the Iranian delegation did not appear to have arrived in Islamabad as of Friday, April 10, according to the Iranian state news agency Tasnim, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards. The Wall Street Journal, however, reported on Thursday night that they had already arrived in the Pakistani capital.
If all goes as planned, the Iranian delegation will be led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtchi. It remains unclear at this time whether a representative from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will take part in the talks, as reported by Qatari media outlet Al-Jazeera.
