ISLAMABAD – All major hotels were sold out for reservations this week, and some transportation and other services were closed in and near the Pakistani capital on Sunday, as the world waited in hope for a second round of peace talks between Iran and the United States.
Neither the United States nor Iran – nor mediator Pakistan – have publicly confirmed that Washington and Tehran will meet again for further peace talks to end the seven-week war, but signs of an imminent meeting are accumulating.
All rooms at the luxury Mövenpick Hotel in Islamabad, which hosted hundreds of local and international journalists during last weekend’s talks, will have no rooms available in the coming days. The city’s Serena Hotel – the headquarters of the US-Iranian negotiations – is no longer accepting reservations.
In addition, current guests at the Serena and Marriott Hotel in Islamabad have been asked to find alternative accommodations starting Sunday night.
Furthermore, the nearby city of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Sunday announced the closure of some forms of transportation for the foreseeable future.
The Islamabad District Administration announced that heavy transport and public transport in the city have been suspended until further orders are issued In a letter to X. “Citizens are requested to cooperate with the security services. Thank you.”
While no date has been announced for the second round, American, Iranian and Pakistani sources indicated that the discussions could take place on Tuesday.
Traveling from the United States to Pakistan takes at least a full day on most commercial airlines.
Even Air Force One took about 17 hours to transport Vice President J.D. Vance and the rest of the US delegation to Islamabad on April 11.
President Trump had previously indicated that he would be open to coming to Islamabad, but said he would not come until the agreement was ready to be signed.
It remains unclear who from the United States might come to Islamabad in the event of a second round of negotiations.