According to Tasnim’s correspondent dispatched to Islamabad, although a number of sources had announced that the Iran-US talks in Islamabad would take place at 8 am local time, there still remains a few hours for the potential discussions to kick off.
It seems that the Iranian and American delegations will first meet separately with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, and the potential talks will begin afterwards.
Accordingly, the talks are probably expected to be held in the afternoon, and the news that some media outlets reported about the talks starting at 8 am is not true.
Following the assassination of late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and several military commanders on February 28, the US and Israel launched an extensive military offensive against Iran. In response, the Iranian Armed Forces carried out attacks on American and Israeli positions in the region and the occupied territories, showcasing their capability to retaliate effectively. Contrary to the aggressors' expectations of a quick victory, Iran's powerful counterattacks for 40 days inflicted significant damage on US and Israeli military assets.
In an effort to de-escalate the situation, Pakistani mediation led to a two-week ceasefire agreement on April 8 that allows for negotiations in Islamabad. Iran has laid out a ten-point plan for the talks, which includes demands for the withdrawal of US forces, the lifting of sanctions, and control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian government maintains a stance of distrust towards the US, asserting that the negotiations are not meant to resolve the conflict but rather to shift the battleground into the diplomatic arena.