Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner to travel to Pakistan for Iran talks: White House confirms

Washington (Web Desk/Agencies): White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Friday that US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner would depart for Pakistan on Saturday for a second round of discussions involving Iran.

While speaking to Fox News, she said, “I 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,” she said.

The White House spokesperson further noted, “Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary, but first, Steve and Jared will be going over there to report back to the president, the vice president and the rest of the team,”

Leavitt also remarked, “The president, the vice president, the secretary of state, will be waiting here in the United States for updates, and 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.”

She added, “The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” and further said, “The president always wants to give diplomacy a chance. It’s always his first option, and he’s willing to do that here again.”

The White House spokesperson said that Washington has observed some encouraging signals from Tehran in recent days and is hopeful that additional progress can be achieved during the weekend discussions.

The development comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to land in Islamabad later tonight, accompanied by a small delegation.

Officials in Pakistan indicated that preparations are also underway for a second round of US-Iran peace discussions, adding that a US logistics and security team is already stationed in the federal capital.

At the same time, Iranian state media confirmed Araghchi’s visit but described it as part of a series of “bilateral consultations”. The IRNA news agency reported, “Iran’s foreign minister will begin a regional tour on Friday evening, April 24, travelling to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow.”

It further stated, “The purpose of this trip is to hold bilateral consultations, discuss ongoing developments in the region, and review the latest situation regarding the war imposed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran.”

Araghchi himself also shared details of his trip on the social media platform X, referring to it as a “timely tour” covering Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow. He said, “The purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbours are our priority.”

The latest diplomatic activity follows a phone conversation between Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Araghchi, during which both sides discussed the US-Iran ceasefire situation and Pakistan’s continuing diplomatic efforts, according to the Foreign Office.