← Serena Hotel

News Coverage — Articles and Photo Galleries

This page is a reading list. It links to the main reporting on the April 2026 Islamabad Talks at the Serena Hotel, grouped by topic, and to the news photo galleries of the security cordon. Those photos are copyrighted by the agencies that took them, so this site links to them instead of copying them. Freely licensed photos are on the Security Photo Gallery.

Photo galleries of the security

• Dawn — containers and army helicopters over the Red Zone (April 9): In pictures: security beefed up in Islamabad
• Dawn — Rangers and riot-police buses on the routes to the Serena (April 10): In pictures: heavy security in Islamabad
• Dawn — arrivals of the U.S. and Iranian delegations at Nur Khan: In pictures: delegations arrive
• Dawn — roads blocked in the Red Zone (April 25): Photos: roads blocked as part of security measures
• Dawn — the Red Zone during the Iranian foreign minister's visit (April 25): In pictures: high security in the Red Zone
• Reuters — five photos, including an empty road in front of the Serena (April 11): Pakistani five-star hotel becomes unlikely site for US-Iran talks
• The Guardian — a police officer on a blocked road to the Serena (April 10): Islamabad prepares to host historic negotiations
• The National — inside the Serena after the talks (April 13): Inside the US-Iran talks venue
• Gulf News — Vance leaves Pakistan: Photos: Vance departs Pakistan
• APP (Pakistan's state news agency) — the media centre (April 11): Interior of the media centre at the Jinnah Convention Centre
• Mehr News Agency — full gallery from the sidelines of the talks (April 11): Mehr photo gallery

The lockdown, round one

• Dawn, April 9 — Red Zone sealed as capital prepares for high-stakes Iran-US talks. The sealing plan, and the comparison with the 2024 SCO summit.
• Express Tribune, April 9 — Foolproof security set for Islamabad talks. Public holidays and Interior Minister Naqvi's assurances.
• Dawn, April 9 — Islamabad takes centre stage. The U.S. advance security team.
• The Media Line via Jerusalem Post, April 10 — Pakistan heightens security in capital. The army takes over the Red Zone; U.S. advance teams land.
• The Guardian, April 10 — Islamabad prepares to host historic negotiations. Guests evicted and a 3 km army-held cordon.
• BBC, April 10 — The high-stakes diplomacy that led to Pakistan hosting the talks. Why Pakistan was host, and about 10,000 personnel deployed.
• Gulf News, April 10 — Pakistan ramps up security ahead of US-Iran talks.
• TASS, April 8 — the hotel's notice to guests that the government had requisitioned it.

Inside the hotel

• Reuters, April 11 — Pakistani five-star hotel becomes unlikely site for US-Iran talks. Why the Serena was chosen. See Why the Serena.

• Al Jazeera, April 13 — How the US-Iran talks in Islamabad unfolded. Floors secured, staff vetted, and the 21 hours of talks.

• The National, April 13 — Inside the US-Iran talks venue. The "diplomatic fortress" and the room layout.

• Al Jazeera, April 9 — Who's attending, what's on the agenda.

• Arabian Business, April 11 — Islamabad's Serena Hotel hosts high-stakes talks under heavy security. Why officials judged it the most secure option.

• Gulf Times (Reuters), April 11 — Five-star hotel becomes unlikely site for US-Iran talks. The full Reuters text on the hotel's design.

• Reuters via Jerusalem Post — Iran negotiators got Pakistan escort home from peace talks. About two dozen jets and airborne early warning.

The media kept outside

• Express Tribune, April 11 — Media Facilitation Centre set up.
• AFP via France 24, April 11 — Buffets, baristas, but no briefings: journalists frozen out of Iran talks.
• Dawn, April 12 — Jinnah Convention Centre turns into media hub.
• Al Jazeera Media Institute, May 2 — How journalists report from outside closed doors.

The second lockdown

• Xinhua, April 16 — Security in Islamabad beefed up again. Forces on the Nur Khan–Serena road almost doubled.

• Al Arabiya (Reuters), April 19 — Islamabad ramps up security near hotels. Barbed wire and police near the Serena; guests told to leave.

• ProPakistani, April 19 — Evacuations start at Marriott, Serena hotels.

• Pakistan Observer, April 19 — Road closures as Red Zone sealed. Margalla Gate only.

• Dawn, April 20 — Red Zone sealed again. Snipers, rooftops and force numbers.

• Pakistan Today, April 21 — Islamabad locked down, offices and schools move online.

• Gulf News — Security lockdown in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

• The National, April 22 — Islamabad stuck on standby.

• Dawn, April 22 — The Red Zone remains off-limits.

• Express Tribune / Reuters, April 24 — No talks in sight, but Islamabad maintains lockdown.

• Dawn, April 26 — Restrictions around the Serena and Red Zone lifted.

Reference

• Wikipedia: Islamabad Talks
• Wikipedia: Red Zone (Islamabad)
• Wikipedia: Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad

Posts on X about the phone claim are collected separately on What X Posted.

Related Areas

• How the media covered September 10
• Every evidence photo on the site
• Censorship of investigators' posts

• Islamabad Serena tracking in the Israel section
• Israeli phones and the NSA's Bumblehive
• Charlie's opposition to the Iran war

This website's author is @HolonCitizen on X and YouTube/@HolonCitizen. Follow me there.