The White House has confirmed that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan on Saturday morning for talks with Iran, marking a new phase in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
White House Confirms Progress
Speaking to reporters, Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration has seen “some progress” from the Iranian side in recent days, though she declined to elaborate on specifics. She told Fox News that Iran reached out to request an in-person meeting, prompting the dispatch of the senior envoys.
Vance Not Attending
Leavitt confirmed that Vice President JD Vance, who led the failed first round of talks, will not be part of the delegation. “The president, the vice president, the secretary of state, will be waiting here in the United States for updates,” she said. “The vice president, I understand, is on standby and will be willing to dispatch to Pakistan if we feel it's a necessary use of his time.”
Pakistani sources have indicated that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday night, setting the stage for the weekend negotiations. The talks come amid heightened rhetoric, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently describing a potential conflict with Iran as Trump’s “gift to the world.”
