President Donald Trump has dispatched his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials, the White House announced on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
The delegation arrived in Islamabad on Saturday morning with the goal of hearing Iran’s perspective amid ongoing tensions, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She said Trump decided to send the envoys “to hear the Iranians out” and emphasized that the president remains “always willing to give diplomacy a chance.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and spokesman Esmail Baqaei had arrived in Islamabad the previous evening, though Baqaei clarified that no direct meeting between Iranian and U.S. Officials was planned. Instead, Iran would convey its observations through Pakistani intermediaries.
Leavitt noted that the administration had observed “some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days,” while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated that Tehran could secure a “good deal” by abandoning its nuclear program in verifiable ways. Hegseth also warned that the U.S. Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global oil shipping route—was “growing and going global.”
The developments come amid heightened regional strain following U.S. And Israeli military actions against Iran that began on February 28, 2026, which prompted Tehran to restrict shipping through the strait. The resulting disruption has contributed to rising oil prices worldwide.
Vice President JD Vance remains on standby to travel to Pakistan if the talks prove productive, Leavitt added.
