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Iran's Tasnim News Agency denied Friday that an Iranian negotiating delegation had arrived in Islamabad, saying Tehran would not participate in peace talks with the United States until Israel stops bombing Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Pakistan locked down its capital in preparation for negotiations that Pakistani officials insist will proceed as planned over the weekend.
Tasnim News Agency, citing an unnamed knowledgeable source, said the Iranian negotiating team had not arrived in Islamabad and had no plans to attend peace talks with the U.S. until Israel stops bombing Lebanon.
The agency denied reports from some U.S. media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, which had reported that an Iranian delegation had arrived and that a team was already in Islamabad.
The source said Iran had officially informed Pakistani authorities it would not participate in peace talks until a ceasefire is established in Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei also stated that any talks aimed at ending the war between Iran, the U.S. and Israel would be contingent on Washington honoring ceasefire commitments on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon.
The Lebanese Civil Defense said Israeli attacks on Lebanon killed at least 303 people and wounded 1,150 others on Wednesday alone.
The expanded Israeli offensive on Lebanon since March 2 has killed 1,888 people and wounded 6,092 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire deal. Iranian officials have called the continued strikes on Lebanon a violation of the agreement.
Pakistani mediators and Tehran have both said the truce covers Lebanon, while Washington and Tel Aviv have denied this.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Pakistan's interventions to maintain the peace and protect the fragile ceasefire have continued behind the scenes.
Khatibzadeh said Pakistan had intervened to stop Iran from retaliating against the strikes on Lebanon.
Pakistani officials insist that the make-or-break peace negotiations will proceed over the weekend as planned, despite the increasingly precarious state of the ceasefire.
Ahead of the first round of discussions, scheduled for Saturday, army personnel and paramilitary rangers have been deployed across Islamabad. A public holiday was declared Thursday and Friday.
Officials confirmed that key delegations were due to arrive Thursday night and Friday morning.
Three to four possible venues are being considered for the critical meeting, Pakistani officials confirmed. The most high-profile attendees are expected to stay at Islamabad's Serena Hotel, which may also host the talks.
The hotel has been cleared of its guests, and surrounding roads within a 3-kilometer radius have been shut to vehicles and placed under army control.
The White House confirmed its negotiating team would be led by Vice President JD Vance, with Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also traveling to Islamabad.
Iranian officials said their delegation would include Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, both of whom were part of the ceasefire negotiations. Senior figures from Iran's Revolutionary Guard are also expected to attend.
Separately, contention over the ceasefire terms continued as Trump said Iran's handling of ships in the Strait of Hormuz was "not the agreement we have."
Israel is also set to negotiate with Lebanon following the deaths of 303 people in Wednesday's strikes.
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