Islamabad, Pakistan – The capital woke up on Saturday to lockdown: Roads were sealed, checkpoints appeared, and more than 10,000 security personnel were deployed ahead of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran.The Iranian delegation arrived late on Friday night, their movement swift and largely unseen. We followed the flight en route to Islamabad via Balochistan. A Pakistani air force plane quickly switched off its call sign inside Pakistani airspace. By the following afternoon, the Americans landed at Nur Khan Air Base, which India claimed to have damaged during the brief war last year.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listOn the tarmac, three extraordinary tail fins stood out. One American, two Iranian. It was a small detail, but in a region defined by symbolism, not insignificant.From the base, the motorcades moved along pre-cleared routes to the Serena Hotel, the venue of the talks. The property, which had been attacked by armed groups in the past, was vacated days earlier. Guests were asked to check out, floors secured, staff vetted. What remained was not a hotel, but a controlled diplomatic environment.The stage was set for the first direct, high-level engagement between post-revolution Iran and the United States… on Pakistani soil.‘To talk or not to talk’ was the questionInside the negotiation room was expectedly a collision …
