Iran Delegation Claims They Faced Security Threat on Way to Peace Talks In Pakistan

A senior Iranian negotiator reports the peace delegation diverted due to a potential attack, with talks in Islamabad between Iran and the United States addressing the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear concerns, sanctions and a fragile ceasefire.

A senior Iranian official has alleged that members of his delegation faced a direct security threat while travelling to Pakistan's capital for peace talks last week, forcing them to change their route and mode of travel.

Professor Mohammad Marandi, who was part of the Iranian team that arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, told Lebanese news channel Al Mayadeen that the group received a warning of a possible attack on their aircraft mid-journey. The threat prompted them to divert the plane to the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad, from where they continued their journey to Pakistan by train, car, and bus.

Strait of Hormuz tensions frame Iran-US talks

Accounts carried by Iranian outlets describe fraught meetings in Islamabad between Iranian and American officials, dominated by mistrust and sharp exchanges linked to the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil flows that has remained shut during the conflict, contributing to steep rises in energy prices.

The core discussions reportedly involved JD Vance, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with one security source saying participants repeatedly left and re-entered the room as tempers rose, and that several points of near-breakthrough later collapsed over familiar disputes, including Iran’s nuclear activities and maritime control near the Strait of Hormuz.

Strait of Hormuz dispute and broken-trust accusations

During one heated exchange, Iran's foreign minister allegedly challenged United States officials over earlier diplomatic assurances, asking, "How can we trust you when, in the last Geneva meeting, you said the US would not attack while diplomacy was underway?" highlighting Tehran’s concern about security guarantees and the future status of the Strait of Hormuz.

The security source summarised the atmosphere inside the talks by saying, "There were ups and downs. There were tense moments. People left the room, and then came back," while noting that Araghchi’s tone hardened when issues such as a non-aggression pact, sanctions relief and longer-term arrangements involving the Strait of Hormuz came up.

Strait of Hormuz blockade follows failed negotiations

Shortly after United States negotiators departed Islamabad without an agreement to end the conflict, Washington announced it had started blocking ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, a decision that President Donald Trump framed as an attempt to push Iran’s leadership back into serious talks.

Trump said the measure responded to Tehran’s wartime control over the narrow waterway, declaring, "We can't let a country blackmail or extort the world, because that's what they're doing," while officials linked the move to efforts to secure commitments on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Strait of Hormuz ceasefire conditions and Vance’s message

Speaking to Fox News on Monday after returning from Islamabad, JD Vance argued that Tehran must now decide whether talks continue, saying, "Whether we have further conversations, whether we ultimately get to a deal, I really think the ball is in the Iranian court, because we put a lot on the table."

Vance said that if Iran respects United States "red lines" on the nuclear programme, "then this can be a very, very good deal for both countries," and added that the fragile 14-day ceasefire, which began the previous week, had partly depended on Iranian steps toward reopening shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance also claimed Iran changed its position during the meetings, stating, "This is, frankly, one of the things where the Iranians tried to move the goalposts during the negotiation," referring to conditions tied to the ceasefire and expectations around restoring traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while sanctions and security assurances were debated.

Strait of Hormuz talks overshadowed by travel threat

The diplomatic drama unfolded as Iran's delegation itself faced a security scare, with Professor Mohammad Marandi telling Lebanon's Al Mayadeen that the group received a warning while airborne that their plane might be targeted on the way to Islamabad, forcing the aircraft to divert to Mashhad in northeastern Iran before the talks on the Strait of Hormuz and other issues.

"We received direct threats while en route to Islamabad that our plane might be attacked," Marandi said, explaining that after landing in Mashhad the delegates reached Pakistan by a combination of train, car and bus, then later changed their return plans and used an unspecified alternative route back to Iran without extending their stay.

Marandi did not identify the origin of the alleged threat but maintained that the delegation remained committed to attending the Islamabad meetings as scheduled, even as the negotiations ended without a deal on nuclear limits, sanctions, non-aggression arrangements or reopening the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the ceasefire fragile and key disputes unresolved.