Iran's Delegation Arrives in Islamabad as 41 Nations Set to Meet in London Over Strait of Hormuz

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - After 39 days of devastating conflict, the delegations are finally on the ground — and the world is watching. Iran's high-level delegation, led by Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and accompanied by the ministers of foreign affairs, national security, and the governor of the central bank, arrived in Islamabad on the evening of Friday, April 10, according to Iran's Fars News Agency.

The delegation includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati. The presence of such senior figures across security, political, military, economic, and legal portfolios signals that Tehran intends to engage directly on the fine details of sanctions relief, the release of frozen assets, and new security protocols.

The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, was en route to Islamabad at the time of publication.

Conditions — and a pre-talk call

Before either delegation had taken their seats, Vance and Qalibaf spoke by phone. Vance made clear that Washington is prepared to reach an agreement — but only on the condition of genuine Iranian commitment. He warned that if Iran attempted to play for time or act in bad faith, the talks would collapse in line with Trump's explicit instructions.

Qalibaf, for his part, reiterated Iran's two pre-conditions: a ceasefire in Lebanon must be declared and Iran's frozen assets must be released before direct talks formally begin. Iranian media have also reported that Tehran will only proceed once the American side formally accepts these conditions.

41 nations to meet in London

As diplomacy converged on Islamabad, a parallel international effort was taking shape in London. A British official told Politico that representatives of 41 countries are set to convene next week — the first such gathering since the US-Iran ceasefire was announced — to coordinate efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore freedom of navigation in the region.

The meeting, to be held at the level of senior political directors, will be preceded by several multilateral working group sessions to examine implementation proposals. Discussions are expected to focus on political and economic measures, including sanctions and coordination with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to secure the release of vessels stranded in the Gulf.

Britain has taken a firm stance against any proposal to impose transit fees or tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz — through which one fifth of the world's oil and gas supply passes — warning that such a precedent would pose a serious risk to other international waterways.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed he had briefed Trump on the conference plans, adding that international partners are working on political and diplomatic tracks while military and logistical options are also being examined to ensure safe passage for vessels.

Trump had previously floated the idea of charging ships a transit fee, but later retreated under international criticism and called on Iran to refrain from any such move.