An advance team from the United States has arrived in Islamabad as Pakistan prepares to host the second round of talks between the Washington and Iran, sources said on Sunday.

Advance teams from foreign delegations have begun arriving in the country ahead of the much-anticipated talks, sources said.

Authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi heightened security in the federal capital, sealing off the Red Zone to traffic as Pakistan prepares to host visiting foreign delegations.

The measures follow reports about the second round of talks between delegations from the United States and Iran, reportedly scheduled next week.

In a statement, Islamabad police said that the Red Zone and Extended Red Zone will remain completely closed for all kinds of traffic until further notice due to the arrival of foreign delegations.

They advised citizens to use alternate routes and cooperate with traffic police to ensure smooth flow and security.

Further, the district administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi announced an immediate suspension of public and goods transport in the twin cities.

The Islamabad deputy commissioner suspended heavy transport and public transport services until further notice, without citing any reason.

“Heavy transport and public transport in the city are being suspended until further orders. Citizens are earnestly requested to cooperate with the security agencies,” the Islamabad DC posted on X.

Similarly, all private, public, and goods transport has been suspended with immediate effect in Rawalpindi. The official confirmed that further updates will be issued later.

“All private, public and goods transport in Rawalpindi is hereby suspended with immediate effect. Further updates will be shared,” the Rawalpindi DC said in his X post.

Security measures

A day earlier, the Rawalpindi police were put on high alert on the directives of City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Mahmood Hamdani.

“Rawalpindi Police have placed the city on high security alert and implemented extraordinary arrangements to ensure foolproof security in view of the movement of foreign delegations,” state-run news agency, APP, reported.

More than 10,000 police officers and personnel were deployed across the city to perform security duties, while over 600 special pickets were established with strict monitoring of all entry and exit points being done.

Special teams of Elite Commandos and trained snipers had been assigned security responsibilities, while the Elite Force, Dolphin Force, police station mobiles, and other quick response units conducted patrolling throughout the city.

Search, sweep, combing, and intelligence-based operations had also been intensified, with close monitoring and checking of suspicious individuals continuing across Rawalpindi.

Security around sensitive installations, key public and private locations and residential places of importance has been further tightened, while Safe City surveillance, CCTV cameras and modern monitoring systems are being used for round-the-clock observation.

Authorities in the twin cities had announced a two-day holiday on April 10 and 11, as Pakistan hosted the high-stakes talks between the US and Iran.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited delegations from Washington and Tehran for peace talks after brokering a two-week ceasefire between the two sides on April 8.

The Middle East conflict began on February 28, following joint strikes by the US and Israel against. The scope of the conflict quickly spread as Tehran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz and launched retaliatory attacks against Israel and US bases across the Gulf region.

After agreeing to the PM Shehbaz-facilitated ceasefire, the two sides held negotiations in Islamabad on a wide range of disputes. However, the talks could result in an agreement for a permanent end to the conflict.

However, Pakistan continued its marathon efforts to help resolve longstanding disputes between the two sides, including COAS-CDF Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran, where he met Iran’s top political and military leadership.

A day after CDF Munir’s visit, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open, citing the agreement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

However, the country blocked the waterway again, citing Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian ports as the reason.

Despite lingering issues, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said talks with Washington have seen “progress,” but “many gaps and some fundamental points remain.”

“We are still far from the final discussion,” said Ghalibaf in a televised address earlier today.

US President Donald Trump has also said that “very good conversations” were going on with Iran, but warned Tehran against trying to “blackmail” Washington.

• Chris Wright believes gas prices have peaked in US.
• Rising gas prices create political headwinds for Trump.
• US officials heading to Pakistan for Iran talks: Trump.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday said he believes gas prices have peaked but predicted that they may stay above $3 per gallon until next year.

Gas prices have risen during the US and Israeli war on Iran and Iranian attacks on US bases in the Gulf region, creating political headwinds for President Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm elections, where his Republican Party will defend slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Gas below $3 a gallon “could happen later this year, that might not happen until next year. But prices have likely peaked, and they’ll start going down,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union” programme. “Certainly, with the resolution of this conflict, you’ll see prices go down.”

Trump administration officials have offered differing views on how gas prices may shift. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week predicted gas prices would fall to the $3 per gallon range this summer, while Wright on Sunday laid out a lengthier likely timeline to reach that price.

Trump himself has said that gas prices may remain elevated until November.

All of them have said gasoline will eventually get cheaper once the Iran war ends. “Under $3 a gallon is pretty tremendous in inflation-adjusted terms,” Wright said. “We’ll get back there for sure.”

The average price for a gallon of regular gas on Sunday was $4.05, according to an estimate by AAA, compared to $3.16 a year ago.

The US and Iran on April 8 agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, but Trump on Sunday accused Iran of violating it with attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz this weekend. US officials will arrive in Pakistan for further negotiations on Monday, Trump wrote in a social media post.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he posted, revisiting a threat he had made prior to the ceasefire.

• PM Modi extends condolence over incident.
• Incident occurs at licensed factory in Tamil Nadu.
• Tamil Nadu CM expresses “immense sorrow”.

A blaze broke out at a firecracker factory in southern India on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring six others, police said.

Local police chief N Shreenatha told AFP that “20 people are confirmed dead” after the incident at a licensed factory in Tamil Nadu state’s Virudhunagar district.

Rescuers were still operating at the site, he said, adding that the cause of the blaze was unknown.

Industrial accidents are common in India, often due to poor adherence to safety regulations and weak enforcement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post, extended his “condolences to those who have lost their loved ones” in the “deeply distressing” incident.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the deaths were “tragic”, expressing his “immense sorrow” in a post on X.

An explosion at a power plant in central India this week killed more than 20 people.

Last month, another fire at a fireworks factory in western India killed 17 people.