Military aircraft , road closures, and hotel clearances: Al Jazeera, citing two Pakistani security sources, reported that two US C-17 military transport planes have landed at Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi, a location near Islamabad. Simultaneously, roads leading from the airport to Islamabad's Red Zone have been temporarily closed, and security has been significantly heightened, suggesting that the second round of US-Iran talks is likely to take place before next Friday.
Another key detail comes from the accommodation arrangements: the Serena Hotel and Marriott Hotel are gradually checking out guests and will not accept new bookings before Friday. The Serena Hotel is the venue for the first round of US-Iran talks on April 11, and it has once again become the focus of attention.
Pakistan's Prime Minister and Army Chief of Staff launch a two-pronged attack
Al Jazeera noted that Pakistan has mobilized its highest-level diplomatic resources to facilitate these negotiations. Army Chief of Staff Aisin Munir returned home on Saturday after a three-day visit to Tehran, during which he met with the Iranian president, foreign minister, speaker of parliament, and head of the Central Military Command.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif completed a shuttle diplomacy trip through Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Türkiye, and returned home on Saturday from the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.
The Pakistani military stated that Munir's trip demonstrated Pakistan's "firm resolve to facilitate a negotiated solution" with the aim of "promoting peace, stability and prosperity."
Disagreements persist, pressure is mounting.
The first round of negotiations, held earlier on April 11 and 12, lasted 21 hours. The U.S. delegation was led by Vice President Vance, while the Iranian delegation was led by Speaker of Parliament Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Araghchi. This was the highest-level face-to-face contact between the U.S. and Iran in decades, but no agreement was reached in the end.
The core differences remain revolving around nuclear enrichment and the Strait of Hormuz, with the standoff between the two sides unresolved. Data from the prediction market platform Polymarket shows that the probability of the next round of diplomatic talks between the US and Iran occurring before April 22nd is 62%, while the probability rises to 77% before April 30th.
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Pakistan PM, army chief wrap up key trips in push for more US-Iran talks | Al Jazeera
