In Pakistan’s capital, the army has been deployed, a public holiday has been declared and the streets are eerily empty
Middle East crisis – live updates
The streets of Islamabad were on strict lockdown as Pakistan’s capital prepared to play host to historic negotiations between Iran and the US that have dangled the promise of an end to war that has devastated the Middle East.
Even as the US-Iran ceasefire looked increasingly precarious, amid Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon and disputes over the terms of the talks, Pakistani officials insisted that the make-or-break peace negotiations would be going ahead over the weekend as planned.
The conflict, which began when Israel and the US attacked Iran in late February, has left thousands dead and caused global economic devastation. Iran’s retaliatory blockade of the critical shipping route, the strait of Hormuz, has led to a global shortage of oil and gas and triggered the worst energy crisis in history.
