Several roads leading to the Red Zone, the governmental district in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, that houses key administrative offices - including the Presidential Palace, the Prime Minister's Office, and various ministries, have been blocked ahead of the upcoming U.S.-Iran talks.
The U.S. and Iran are scheduled to begin negotiations on Saturday morning during the diplomatic window of a two-week conditional truce announced on Tuesday, more than one month after the start of U.S.-Israeli joint military strikes on Iran.
At road intersections, soldiers were seen conducting checks and standing guard on Friday. Reporters from Pakistani and international media outlets have gathered in the peripheral areas of the Red Zone, where TV relay and live broadcast vehicles from Pakistani media were seen standing by.
As of Friday morning local time, there is no information confirming that key personnel from the U.S. and Iranian delegations have arrived in Islamabad. However, according to public aircraft tracking websites, some U.S. transport planes did land in Islamabad and unloaded some supplies.
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday morning that Pakistan has granted visa-on-arrival to delegates and journalists attending the talks.
In a statement posted on social media, Dar requested "all airlines to allow such individuals boarding without a visa," adding that immigration authorities in Pakistan would issue visas on arrival.
Pakistan's Ministry of Interior said in a social media post on Friday that Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a special meeting to review security arrangements and other preparations for the upcoming talks. Naqvi asked the relevant authorities to take all possible measures to ensure the hospitality and security of visiting delegations. The meeting decided that the Red Core zone would be completely sealed off, allowing entry only to authorized personnel. Additionally, the Ministry of Interior has established a control room to coordinate related matters.
Islamabad's Red Zone sealed off ahead of US-Iran peace talks
