There are indications a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran will go ahead, despite Tehran refusing to confirm whether it will send a delegation.
Following the first round of talks earlier this month US Vice-President J D Vance said the US “could not get to a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms”, and Iran’s foreign ministry urged Washington to refrain from “excessive demands and unlawful requests”.
The potential second round comes at a crucial moment. Sources told the BBC on Monday afternoon that the US delegation would be leaving “soon” but did not specify a time, while officials told the New York Times that they would depart on Tuesday.
Later on Monday, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said that, “so far”, Tehran had “no plans” to attend.
Vance is expected to be joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, as in the previous round of talks.
It is not clear who – if anyone – from Iran’s side will be showing up.
However, in Islamabad, there are signs of preparation for the talks.
Guests at the city’s Serena Hotel, where the previous round was held, have been told to leave in preparation for meetings, while police announced the closure of key roads due to the arrival of foreign delegations.
A senior government official told Reuters news agency that Pakistan was confident it could get Iran to attend the talks.