New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has decided to send his Middle East envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Pakistan to participate in renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has reportedly continued for nearly eight weeks.
The White House confirmed the development on Friday, with spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stating that Witkoff and Kushner would travel to Islamabad for discussions involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. She expressed optimism that the talks could help advance negotiations towards a possible agreement, according to theguardian.com.
Leavitt indicated that the US side hopes the engagement will be constructive and contribute to progress in the peace process.
As part of his regional outreach, Araghchi has announced visits to Pakistan, Russia, and Oman to explore possibilities for restarting stalled peace negotiations. The discussions are expected to focus on creating conditions for a long-term arrangement, including a potential US-Israeli commitment to halt attacks on Iran, which has emerged as a key demand from Tehran.
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US Vice-President JD Vance, who had earlier led a delegation in previous rounds of talks in Islamabad, will not travel this time but will remain on standby. The White House said senior US leadership, including the president, vice-president, and secretary of state, would closely monitor developments from Washington, with Vance ready to travel if required.
Reports also indicate that Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who participated in earlier discussions, is not expected to attend the current round.
Separately, Araghchi is expected to hold discussions with Oman regarding possible arrangements for managing the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically significant maritime route.
Iran has maintained that talks will not resume unless US restrictions on its ports are lifted, while the United States has demanded verifiable guarantees regarding Iran’s nuclear programme and conditions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
According to emerging proposals, Iran is reportedly considering restructuring its stockpile of highly enriched uranium by dividing it into portions and gradually reducing enrichment levels in exchange for phased sanctions relief. Tehran is also exploring the possibility of involving China as a guarantor in any future agreement.
During Araghchi’s visit to Moscow, Russia is expected to reiterate its earlier proposal to assist in managing parts of Iran’s uranium stockpile.
Meanwhile, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on state television that the focus of negotiations has shifted from the nuclear issue to securing an end to the conflict in a way that protects Iran’s national interests.
