The White House confirmed on Friday that President Donald Trump is dispatching special envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner to Pakistan for high-stakes direct talks with Iranian representatives.
The U.S. delegation is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Saturday morning. They will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a second round of negotiations mediated by the Pakistani government. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that the meeting was requested by Tehran following the President’s call for direct engagement.
"We have seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last few days," Leavitt told Fox News, adding that while the President retains all military options, the current focus is on diplomacy to meet U.S. "red lines."
While Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will remain in Washington for now, Leavitt confirmed the entire national security team is on standby to fly to Pakistan if the talks gain significant traction. The absence of high-level officials like Vance currently mirrors the absence of Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf from the local delegation.
These discussions follow a successful first round held on April 11–12 and a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that has been in effect since April 8. The mission aims to reach a comprehensive agreement to end the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026.
