The fragile ceasefire diplomacy in the Middle East appeared on shaky grounds after Iran’s envoy to Pakistan briefly announced the arrival of a negotiating team in Islamabad, only to delete the post minutes later, fueling questions over timing and coordination ahead of crucial talks with the United States.Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, wrote on The message was swiftly taken down, with an embassy official later saying it had been posted prematurely. “Timing — we were not supposed to send it,” the official said, declining to confirm whether the delegation would still arrive as planned.The deletion has cast a shadow over what is being billed as a key diplomatic opening, even as both Washington and Tehran have confirmed their participation in Pakistan-brokered talks aimed at stabilizing a two-week ceasefire. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited both sides to Islamabad for negotiations toward a “conclusive agreement”, while the White House has indicated that Vice President JD Vance will lead the American delegation this weekend.Preparations in Islamabad point to the significance of the moment. Authorities have declared local holidays, shut schools and government offices, and imposed sweeping movement restrictions across the capital, with heightened security and road closures in place ahead of the high-level meetings.However, developments on the ground continue to threaten the ceasefire’s survival. Israel has intensified strikes in Lebanon, saying its campaign against Hezbollah falls outside the truce with Iran. Lebanese officials reported more than 180 people killed in a single day of bombardment, while Hezbollah claimed retaliatory rocket fire into northern Israel. The escalation has drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning the strikes in unusually strong terms.
