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Journalists gather at the media center in Islamabad ahead of the first U.S.-Iran talks to end hostilities on the 11th (local time)[Yonhap][Yonhap]
Reporters from around the world crowded the media center set up in downtown Islamabad to support coverage of the first U.S.-Iran talks aimed at ending hostilities.
With the negotiations drawing global attention, Pakistan’s government took the unusual step of allowing some foreign reporters to enter the country without prior visas.
Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on the 10th (local time) that Pakistan welcomes all delegations and journalists attending the “2026 Islamabad Talks” and asked airlines to allow those visitors to board Pakistan-bound flights even if they do not yet have visas.
He added that immigration authorities would issue visas on arrival.
Islamabad initially planned visas on arrival only for U.S. and Iranian press, but expanded the arrangement to reporters from other countries after large numbers arrived.
Ordinarily, obtaining a Pakistani visa in advance can take 10 days to more than a month.
Analysts say Pakistan’s accommodation likely serves a diplomatic purpose: after mediating from neighboring states in the past, Islamabad is now taking a front-facing role in hosting these face-to-face U.S.-Iran negotiations and promoting that achievement internationally.
Media center for the U.S.-Iran talks draws journalists from around the world[Yonhap][Yonhap]
On the afternoon of the 11th (local time), reporters from multiple countries boarded shuttle buses at a press support center in an Islamabad hotel. Escorted by Pakistani officials, they were taken to the media center inside the Jinnah Convention Center.
Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry said, for security reasons, all journalists must access the media center by shuttle bus.
The media center sits just outside the capital’s red zone — the area that includes the prime minister’s residence and other key government offices — and faces the Serena Hotel, the venue reported to host the U.S.-Iran talks, across a single road.
Broadcast teams used the center to relay updates on pre-negotiation activities and assess prospects for the talks. Pakistani reporters also questioned foreign colleagues on their reporting and the likely trajectory of the negotiations.
Security personnel stand guard outside the media center building in Islamabad, Pakistan[AP=Yonhap][AP=Yonhap]
Still, some domestic and international reporters voiced frustration that officials released no substantive information on site, leaving them unable to determine the talks’ substance.
Pakistani journalist Nadeer Guramani told foreign media, “No one knows when, where or how these talks are taking place.” He also said movement restrictions across the city make it difficult to gauge events beyond the secured perimeter.
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Shin Juwon (nanjuhee@yna.co.kr)
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