Donald Trump is sending his Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to resume negotiations aimed at ending the war with Iran, which has lasted nearly eight weeks. The White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the travel on Friday, stating that Witkoff and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, would meet Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in Islamabad.
Leavitt expressed hope for a productive conversation that could move towards a deal. Araghchi had announced a tour of Pakistan, Russia and Oman to explore a basis for reopening peace talks, with a key demand being a permanent US-Israeli commitment to cease attacks on Iran. Vice-President JD Vance, who led a previous US delegation to Islamabad, will not travel but remains on standby for a potential breakthrough.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that the main subject in negotiations is no longer the nuclear issue but ending the war in a way that secures Iran’s interests. He stressed that a ceasefire must be the first step towards ending the war on all fronts, and that commitments to non-aggression are required from both the US and Israel.
Iran is considering parcelling its 400kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium and diluting it sequentially in return for lifting specific sanctions. Russia may revive an offer to take some of the stockpile. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said 34 ships had been turned back as part of the US blockade of Iranian ports, with a second aircraft carrier joining next week. He warned that the US navy would shoot anyone laying mines, comparing it to targeting drug boats in the Caribbean.
