US dispatches Witkoff and Kushner for Iran talks in Pakistan

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner are set to travel to Islamabad on Saturday, April 25, for direct talks with Iran after Tehran initiated contact with the administration of Donald Trump.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday, April 24, in remarks broadcast live on Newsmax, that “the Iranians want to talk in person.”

If held, the meeting would mark the first direct talks between Washington and Tehran since April 11, when the sides also met in Islamabad. Those earlier discussions took place just days after Trump imposed a two-week ceasefire in a conflict that began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran’s political leadership and military infrastructure.

The April 11 talks ultimately broke down after US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, said Washington had not received “an affirmative commitment” from Iran “that they will not seek a nuclear weapon.”

Only hours before the ceasefire was due to expire on Wednesday, Trump extended it in an effort to build momentum for a diplomatic agreement before potentially returning to military options.

“Look, as you know, and I spoke about it earlier this week, the president was flexible in granting an extension of the ceasefire,” Leavitt said outside the White House.

“Throughout this time, the president has decided to dispatch special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad.

“The Iranians want to talk. They want to talk in person, and so the president is, as I've said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance. So, Steven and Jared will be heading to Pakistan tomorrow to hear the Iranians out. We hope progress will be made and we hope that positive developments will come from this meeting and we will see.”

Leavitt added that Vance would not attend the upcoming talks but “is on standby and will be willing to dispatch to Pakistan if we feel it's a necessary use of his time.”

By Tamilla Hasanova