Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday evening for talks with Pakistani officials, according to an Iranian envoy in Pakistan who announced the visit on social media platform X.
The delegation’s arrival coincides with a two-day holiday declared by Pakistani authorities in Islamabad and the neighboring city of Rawalpindi for security reasons ahead of the diplomatic engagement. Schools, government offices and private institutions were closed, whereas essential services such as hospitals, power plants, and gas facilities remained operational.
Araqchi is expected to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials to discuss reviving negotiations with the United States. A Pakistani official told Axios that the focus of the talks would be on restoring dialogue with the Trump administration, adding that Islamabad is considering a trilateral format involving the U.S. Following the meeting with the Iranian diplomat.
After his visit to Islamabad, Araqchi is scheduled to travel to Muscat in Oman and then proceed to Moscow, though the exact timing of any potential meeting with U.S. Representatives remains uncertain.
The White House confirmed that Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, would travel to Pakistan on Saturday morning for discussions with Iran. White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt said the U.S. Hopes for progress from the talks and noted that recent Iranian signals indicate a willingness to engage diplomatically.
Leavitt added that Vice President JD Vance would not be part of the initial U.S. Delegation but remains ready to fly to Pakistan if deemed necessary by American officials. Vance’s absence is reportedly due to the non-participation of Mohammad Bakr Qalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, who has been sidelined by internal disputes within Iran’s leadership and had previously considered resigning over frustrations with prior negotiation rounds.
The talks aim to address the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, with both Washington and Tehran having agreed to a two-week ceasefire earlier in the month. The U.S. And Israel launched military strikes against Iran in late February, which escalated into a broader regional conflict. Pakistani officials stated that the objective of the discussions in Islamabad is to achieve a lasting peace in the region.
