Kushner, Witkoff will head to Pak, Vance to be on standby: US's Iran talks plan

Vice President JD Vance is not expected to travel along with Witkoff and Kushner. However, officials say he remains on standby and could travel to Pakistan if negotiations gain traction, CNN reported.

In Short

• Iran demands lifting US blockade before talks resume
• Pakistan acts as mediator amid Gulf military tensions
• Iranian official says focus should be on ending war, not nuclear issues

In a fresh diplomatic push that carries both urgency and risk, US President Donald Trump is dispatching his trusted envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan for high-stakes talks with Iran, even as military tensions continue to simmer in the Gulf.

According to US officials cited by CNN and Reuters, Witkoff and Kushner will travel to Islamabad this weekend to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in what could mark a crucial second round of ceasefire negotiations.

However, there is no confirmation from Iran over a possible second round of talks in Islamabad. Tehran has made the removal of the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz a key precondition to restarting talks with Washington.

Pakistan has quietly positioned itself as a mediator, attempting to bring Washington and Tehran back to the table after talks stalled on April 21 over the naval blockade.

The renewed diplomatic effort comes days after Trump agreed to extend a ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, following Islamabad’s request for more time.

Vice President JD Vance is not expected to travel along with Witkoff and Kushner. However, officials say he remains on standby and could travel to Pakistan if negotiations gain traction, CNN reported. His absence mirrors that of Iran’s Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, seen by the White House as the main negotiator.

Meanwhile, Araghchi is set to visit Islamabad on Friday as part of Iran's bilateral efforts to resolve the conflict, which enters its eighth week. Pakistani sources suggest that Araghchi will discuss Iran's proposals with Pakistan, which, in turn, will pass it on to the US for further deliberations.

Araghchi said he would be visiting Pakistan, Oman, and Russia to coordinate with partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments, adding that Iran’s neighbours remain Tehran’s priority.

His visit coincides with a senior official in the Iranian foreign ministry arguing that the peace talks should focus on ending the war in a way that would secure Iran’s interests and demands.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Friday that nuclear weapons can no longer be their main subject. "The main issue is ending the war in a way that secures our interests and demands," he said.

He also linked Iran's willingness to continue talks with the United States to lifting the blockade, which it described as “an act of aggression.”

With both sides holding firm on key demands, the path to a breakthrough remains uncertain, even as backchannel efforts gather pace. The coming days could prove decisive in determining whether diplomacy can de-escalate tensions or push the conflict into a more volatile phase.

- Ends