Dubai: Iranian state television aired a striking on-screen notice on Tuesday, asserting that “no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad … so far”, amid escalating whispers about prospective secret dialogues with the United States.
The forthright declaration reveals growing divisions in Iran’s religious leadership, confronting difficult decisions on responding to the US Navy’s weekend interception of an Iranian container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Dominated by long-standing hard-line groups, the state media’s announcement seems to reflect Tehran’s deliberate caution as global tensions escalate, agencies reported.
No high-ranking Iranian official has confirmed sending representatives to Islamabad, leaving Pakistani officials on standby for days to facilitate any last-minute discussions.
US Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead an American team to the talks. Iran remains tight-lipped on who might spearhead its delegation this time, differing from earlier sessions led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, whose team managed preliminary discussions before they collapsed over security incidents and irreconcilable differences.
