The Trump administration is dispatching special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner to Pakistan this weekend for a second round of direct negotiations with Iranian representatives, as diplomatic efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear program accelerate.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the travel plans Friday, telling Fox News that Witkoff and Kushner will depart Saturday morning. “I can confirm special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks, direct talks, intermediated by the Pakistanis, who have been incredible friends and mediators throughout this entire process, with representatives from the Iranian delegation,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt noted that the Iranian side requested this round of in-person discussions in Islamabad. “We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal,” she added.
Vice President Vance, who played a central role in the previous round of talks, will not be traveling. According to Leavitt, Vance remains “deeply involved” and will stay in the United States alongside President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the national security team to receive updates. She added that “everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary.”
Axios reported that Vance’s absence is due to the fact that his Iranian counterpart, Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, will not be present. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to attend the talks.
The administration has framed the diplomatic push as part of a broader strategy. “Ultimately, the goal of Operation Epic Fury was to ensure that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and we’ve now transitioned into this diplomatic phase to get that done through the means of a deal,” Leavitt said. She later told reporters that the administration has “seen some progress” from Iran in recent days.
This will be the first in-person meeting since President Trump declared an indefinite ceasefire with Iran earlier this week. Trump has maintained there is no set deadline for Iran to present a unified peace proposal, though the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports remains in place. Trump said Thursday the blockade is “100 percent effective.”
The talks come amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and ongoing U.S. economic pressure. The administration’s reliance on Pakistani mediation underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics at play, as Washington seeks to avoid a broader military confrontation while pushing for a verifiable agreement. Critics, however, question whether the talks can yield meaningful progress given the continued blockade and lack of a formal timeline.
