Trump envoys head to Pakistan for Iran talks

President Donald Trump is sending his special envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad this weekend for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, marking a potential second round of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between the United States and Iran. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the delegation's travel on Friday, stating that the administration has seen "some progress" from the Iranian side in recent days. Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of failed talks earlier this month that lasted 21 hours, remains on standby to travel to Pakistan if negotiations advance, though he is not expected to attend initially as his counterpart, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohamed Baqer Qalibaf, will also not be present. Araqchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday evening for a three-country tour that includes Pakistan, Oman, and Russia, with the stated purpose of coordinating with regional partners on bilateral matters and consulting on regional developments. Pakistani officials have indicated that the presence of both parties in Islamabad is expected to facilitate the anticipated second round of dialogue between Washington and Tehran. The Foreign Minister emphasized that Iran's neighbors represent a "priority issue" for the Islamic Republic in the context of the ongoing war. Araqchi's itinerary also includes stops in Muscat and Moscow, where he will discuss the conflict situation with Oman's sultan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov respectively, Iran's closest international allies. The announcement comes after President Trump unilaterally extended a two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely on Tuesday, just hours before the truce was set to expire, granting Tehran additional time to present a unified proposal to end the war. While officials from both sides have been working for months on a possible agreement regarding Iran's nuclear material, deep mistrust continues to characterize contacts between the parties. No direct talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations have been officially confirmed, and Iranian state media reported that no meeting with Americans is scheduled during Araqchi's visit to Islamabad.