US-Iran Talks: Pakistan Locks Down Islamabad
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- Pakistan deployed armed guards, checkpoints, and road closures across Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi ahead of US-Iran peace talks expected in the coming days
- President Trump announced on Truth Social that US negotiators will arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening (April 21, 2026) to resume talks on ending the war with Iran
- The new round follows face-to-face talks on April 11 in Islamabad that ended without agreement, making this the second attempt at negotiations in roughly ten days
- AFP journalists observed barbed wire, barricades, heavy security, and traffic diversions on most streets leading to the Serena Hotel, where the last round of US-Iranian talks took place
- Checkpoints were also set up near the Marriott Hotel, another of Islamabad's most secure venues and site of the previous delegation meetings
- A city official posted on X urging citizens to "earnestly cooperate with the security agencies" during the lockdown
- The Serena and Marriott are the same hotels that hosted the prior US and Iranian delegations, signaling continuity in venue for the renewed talks
Why it matters: Pakistan is mounting a full security operation across Islamabad for a second round of US-Iran negotiations after the first collapsed without agreement on April 11. The road closures, barbed wire, and checkpoints around the Serena and Marriott hotels underscore the diplomatic stakes for Pakistan as host, with the prior failure raising pressure for a concrete outcome this time around.
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