Witkoff and Kushner Head to Pakistan for Iran Talks
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- Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad Saturday morning for Iran talks mediated by Pakistan, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday.
- Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration has seen "some progress" from the Iranian side in the last couple of days, declining to elaborate on specifics.
- Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was expected in Islamabad on Friday to discuss proposals for restarting peace talks with the U.S., per Reuters.
- Vice President JD Vance, who led a first round of unsuccessful talks with Iran in Islamabad earlier this month, is on standby and willing to travel to Pakistan if the new round proves successful.
- President Trump unilaterally extended a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday at the 11th hour to allow more time for negotiations to end the war, per the report.
Why it matters: After an 11th-hour ceasefire extension and a failed first round in Islamabad, the White House is dispatching its two top envoys while Iran's foreign minister arrives separately. Pakistan is hosting and mediating, and VP Vance is on standby — making this weekend the clearest test of whether the cited 'progress' yields a concrete deal.
