US envoys headed to Pakistan for Iran war talks

Although Iranian state media reported that Tehran’s negotiators had no immediate plans to hold in-person talks, US envoys were anticipated in the Pakistani city on Saturday to begin a fresh round of peace talks with Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, the head of Pakistan’s army and a crucial player in the nation’s mediation efforts, when he was already in Islamabad.

The foreign ministry said that Aragchi “explained our country’s principled positions regarding the latest developments related to the ceasefire and the complete end of the imposed war against Iran” in addition to thanking Pakistan for its efforts in establishing the ceasefire.

Even as the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), grows, sealing a settlement to end the Middle East conflict is still a difficult task.

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will go for Pakistan on Saturday “to engage in talks… with representatives from the Iranian delegation,” according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.According to Leavitt, “the Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” adding that the discussions will “hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal.”

Leavitt stated that Vice President JD Vance, who oversaw the initial round of talks in Islamabad two weeks ago, was on “standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary” but would not be attending at this time.

However, it was still unclear if the Iranian side would speak with the US envoys face-to-face.

Araghchi has no intention of meeting with the Americans, according to Iranian official television, and Islamabad would act as a conduit to “convey” Iranian proposals.

Without specifically mentioning discussions with Witkoff and Kushner, Pakistan’s foreign ministry stated that Araghchi had come to Islamabad to talk about “ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability” with Pakistani authorities.

Araghchi would subsequently travel to Oman and Russia to talk about attempts to put a stop to the war that Israel and the United States started on Iran on February 28, according to an Iranian spokesman.