ISLAMABAD: United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan soon for talks with Iran’s foreign minister, a US official told Reuters on Friday, with FM Abbas Araghchi set to arrive tonight.
Vice President JD Vance is not currently planning to attend , but he will be on standby to travel to Islamabad if negotiations progress, according to CNN, which first recorded the travel plans.
Araghchi will arrive in Islamabad with a small team, with state media reporting that peace talks with the US are likely to take place, raising hope that negotiations could resume after they collapsed earlier this week.
In a post on X, he said he was embarking on a “timely tour” of Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow.
“Purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbours are our priority.”
In a post on X, state-run Pakistan TV quoted government sources as saying: “Iran’s foreign minister is expected in Islamabad tonight with a small delegation, as momentum builds for a possible second round of Iran-US peace talks following key consultations with Pakistan’s mediation team. Meanwhile, US logistics and security officials are already on the ground in Islamabad.”
State broadcaster PTV News also posted the same on X.
Two Pakistani government sources told Reuters Araghchi’s visit could signal the resumption of peace talks with the US, though this was not yet confirmed and Washington’s response was still awaited.
Araghchi “will tell us what instructions he has when he arrives. All this is speculative”, one of the sources said. The two sources said Araghchi would hold bilateral talks during his brief visit and discuss his side of the proposal for talks with the US over the Iran war, which would then be conveyed to Washington.
There was no immediate direct response from Washington to the report.
Iranian state media outlet IRNA said the purpose of this trip was bilateral consultations, discussions and dialogue regarding the ongoing developments in the region, as well as the latest status of the imposed war by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran.”
