The White House confirmed on Friday that President Donald Trump will send his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan on Saturday for direct talks with Iranian officials, marking a renewed diplomatic effort to de-escalate tensions between the United States and Iran.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the development, stating that the meeting in Islamabad was initiated by Iran in response to Trump’s call for face-to-face communication. She emphasized that the goal is to understand Iran’s position, advance negotiations, and lay the groundwork for a potential agreement.
Leavitt noted that even as Vice President JD Vance will not attend the weekend talks, he remains engaged from Washington and could travel to Pakistan if needed. Vance had previously led a U.S. Delegation to Islamabad for preliminary discussions with Iran, but those talks yielded no concrete results. A follow-up meeting earlier in the week was postponed after Iranian officials indicated they would not attend.
According to Leavitt, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is simultaneously conducting diplomatic visits to Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow to coordinate on bilateral and regional issues, signaling Tehran’s effort to create favorable conditions for negotiation.
The renewed talks approach approximately two weeks after the previous round of discussions and follow a unilateral U.S. Announcement on April 7 of a ceasefire agreement, during which Trump warned that failure to reach a deal would result in Iran facing “total destruction.” Despite the heightened rhetoric, the White House said the U.S. Continues to pursue diplomatic channels.
Officials stressed that the Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of friction, with recent Iranian threats and U.S. Naval blockade actions significantly reducing oil traffic through the vital waterway, further straining the fragile ceasefire and impacting global energy markets.
The administration maintains that Iran still has time to make a “wise choice” by verifiably abandoning its nuclear program, warning that continued resistance could lead to economic collapse under sustained U.S. Port blockades.
