Both Washington and Tehran have confirmed their participation in peace talks brokered by Pakistan, although the schedule is still to be confirmed.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Thursday with the country's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who jointly "appreciated the restraint demonstrated by all sides", according to the premier's office.

The pair "expressed satisfaction over the de-escalation achieved so far", the statement said.

US President Donald Trump agreed a two-week truce to allow talks between US and Iranian negotiators, but Washington's ally Israel has kept up its attacks on Lebanon.

Iran has said Lebanon was a key part of the ceasefire and argues Israeli attacks breach the truce.

Iran's deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said "Iran was on the verge of responding to the ceasefire violation last night".

Such a move was avoided because "Pakistan intervened", Khatibzadeh told ITV News, according to excerpts from Iran's Tasnim news agency.

Pakistan's premier spoke on Thursday to his Lebanese counterpart, Nawaf Salam, and "strongly condemned Israel's ongoing aggression against Lebanon", the prime minister's office said.

Pakistani officials announced a public holiday for the capital area on Thursday and Friday, a step often taken ahead of high-profile diplomatic events.

Essential services, including police, hospitals, and power and gas utilities, will remain operational, the deputy commissioner's office said.

The White House has said Vice President JD Vance will lead US negotiations over the Middle East war in Islamabad "this weekend".

Iran's ambassador to Pakistan deleted a social media post saying an Iranian delegation would arrive in Islamabad on Thursday night, a move an embassy official later told AFP had been sent prematurely.

Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on X on Thursday morning that an Iranian delegation would arrive "tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran". The post was deleted shortly after.

An official at the Iranian embassy in Islamabad told AFP the post was removed "because of some issues", declining to say whether the delegation was still expected on Thursday.

When asked further, the official said: "Timing -- we were not supposed to send it."

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