Three Iranian aircraft carrying a 70-member delegation landed at Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, shortly after the start of US-Iran discussions in Islamabad aimed at establishing lasting peace in the Middle East. The planes arrived from Tehran about an hour after the talks began, but the identities of the passengers and the purpose of their visit were not immediately known.

The aircraft belong to Pouya Air, a company known to be linked with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and Aerospace Force. They reportedly departed from Mehrabad International Airport, which was recently damaged by US and Israeli strikes. Iranian sources told Al Jazeera that as the discussions entered a more detailed phase, some experts from Iran might travel to Pakistan.

The Washington Post earlier reported that the Trump administration planned to request the release of Americans detained in Iran as part of the talks. However, it remains unclear whether the Islamabad discussions or the sudden Iranian flights are connected to any prisoner release negotiations.