Pakistan is now at the center of a high-stakes diplomatic standoff.

• The U.S. is sending a team led by JD Vance for Iran talks in Islamabad starting Saturday, with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also involved.

• But Iran is denying it has sent any delegation to Pakistan, keeping uncertainty high around whether talks will actually happen.

• The fragile ceasefire now depends on whether diplomacy can hold amid pressure over Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.