President Trump is sending two of his top dealmakers back into the diplomatic pressure cooker.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for talks involving Iran, with Pakistan again trying to mediate as the Trump administration presses Tehran toward a deal.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that Washington has seen “some progress” from the Iranian side in recent days and that Witkoff and Kushner are heading to Pakistan “to hear the Iranians out.”
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BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt confirms Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will head back to Pakistan tomorrow for peace talks with Iran.@AmericaRpts @johnrobertsFox pic.twitter.com/npLePI513c
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 24, 2026
The diplomatic opening comes with a catch: Iran is already muddying the waters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday, but Tehran publicly denied that any direct meeting with U.S. officials was planned. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmael Baqaei said Pakistani officials would instead pass messages between the two sides.
Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran earlier this week to give diplomacy more time, but the military pressure has not disappeared. The U.S. blockade remains in place, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis continues to hang over global energy markets.
For Trump, the message is simple: talk, but under pressure.
For Tehran, the posture is more slippery: show up in Islamabad, deny direct talks, and let Pakistan carry the messages.
This story is developing…
