ISLAMABAD – Days after US Vice President JD Vance cancelled his planned visit to Pakistan, US President Donald Trump has now picked two of his closest aides, Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, to lead the second round of high-stakes Iran talks in Islamabad, officials say.
A report shared by CNN said Trump is planning to send high-profile political allies special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan this weekend for urgent, high-level negotiations involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to US officials cited by CNN.
The move shows potentially critical phase in efforts to revive dialogue with Tehran, as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to intensify across multiple fronts.
As per reports, Vice President JD Vance is not expected to attend initial round of talks, as Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, considered by Washington to be the key counterpart in the Iranian delegation, will not be present. US officials say Vance remains on standby and could travel to Islamabad if the negotiations gain momentum. Members of his staff are already being deployed to Pakistan to support the process on the ground.
Witkoff and Kushner, both deeply involved for months in informal diplomatic engagement with Iranian officials, have reportedly been working on the framework of a potential agreement focused on Iran’s nuclear materials, a subject at the heart of long-standing international tensions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is launching high-stakes diplomatic tour beginning Friday evening, with strategic stops planned in Pakistan, Oman, and Russia. The visit comes at a moment of heightened regional volatility and is expected to include urgent consultations on bilateral relations, regional security, and possible diplomatic pathways forward.
Pakistan has already held senior-level phone discussions with Iranian leadership, during which Islamabad stressed the urgent need to keep diplomatic channels open amid rising instability. Tehran, in turn, publicly praised Pakistan’s role as a critical communication bridge between involved parties.
The timing of the tour adds to growing global concern, as tensions between Iran and the US continue to escalate. Maritime security in particular has become a flashpoint, with increasing incidents reported in the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most strategically vital shipping corridors—where vessel seizures and military confrontations have further inflamed the situation.
Araghchi’s scheduled visit to Russia adds another layer of geopolitical weight to the trip, underscoring Tehran’s deepening alignment with Moscow. Russia has remained a key diplomatic and strategic partner for Iran throughout its standoff with the United States.
Iran and Russia formalised a sweeping 20-year strategic agreement expanding cooperation across military, political, and economic sectors, though stopping short of a mutual defense pact.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has recently praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts in talks with Iran and the US and expressed Moscow’s readiness to support diplomatic initiatives. Earlier intelligence reports also suggested Russian involvement in sharing strategic military information with Iran during the ongoing conflict, highlighting the depth of their cooperation.
New Traffic Advisory issued for Islamabad for Weekend ahead of Iranian Delegation’s Visit
