Islamabad is a city on hold, gripped by the limelight of its own success, host to something potentially historic — and yet at the same locked in by road closures.

NBC News is in Islamabad ahead of potentially decisive new talks between Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s leadership.

It comes as Iran's parliamentary speaker says Tehran is preparing "new cards on the battlefield" if fighting with the US resumes.

ISLAMABAD — Major hotels are sold out for reservations this week and some transportation and other services have shut down in and near Pakistan’s capital city on Sunday, as the world waits in hope for a successful second round of peace talks between Iran and the US to take place.

The U.S. and Iran are set to engage in new ceasefire talks in Islamabad as a two-week truce nears its expiration. Both sides express readiness for renewed conflict if negotiations fail.

The Nasdaq 100 has rallied slightly during the early hours here on Tuesday, but at the end of the day I think we’re probably somewhat in a form of stasis here as we’re waiting to find out what’s going on in Islamabad and whether or not those talks provide some type of fruitful resolution between the United States and the Iranians.

Iran denies sending negotiators to Islamabad, contradicting US expectations. Iranian media mocks US VP JD Vance with a viral meme, highlighting tensions in US-Iran relations.

Pakistan pressed ahead Tuesday with the groundwork for a second round of talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad as a fragile ceasefire hung in the balance, even though it remained unclear whether Tehran would send a delegation.