White House Sends Team to Pakistan as Iran Balks at Talks

President Donald Trump will send two envoys to Pakistan with the intention of talking with Iranian officials, while Tehran sounded a more pessimistic tone on the prospects of further negotiations.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to participate in talks this weekend, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Fox News interview on Friday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also set to be in Pakistan but hasn’t publicly agreed to sit down with Trump’s representatives. No talks are slated to take place between US and Iranian officials during the foreign minister’s trip, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported earlier. President Donald Trump will send envoys to Pakistan with the intention of meeting with Iranian officials, while Tehran sounded a pessimistic tone on the prospects for talks to end the eight-week war roiling the global economy.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to depart Saturday for talks this weekend, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Fox News interview on Friday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also set to be in Pakistan but hasn’t publicly agreed to sit down with Trump’s representatives. No talks are slated to take place between US and Iranian officials during the foreign minister’s trip, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported earlier.

WATCH: President Donald Trump is sending special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan to hold another round of talks with Iran.

Araghchi earlier posted on social media that the purpose of his travel is to consult with partners on bilateral matters. Still, Leavitt claimed the Iranians had reached out to the US to arrange the fresh round of talks.

“We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forwards towards a deal,” Leavitt said on Fox. She later told reporters that the US has “certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the past couple of days,” without elaborating.

Vice President JD Vance, the lead negotiator for the US, will not be headed to Pakistan for now, she said.

“Everybody will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary,” she added. “The president is dispatching Steve and Jared to see what they have to say.”

Officials in Pakistan familiar with the matter said earlier they expected a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran, while declining to say when the negotiations would happen or at what level.

Investors have scrutinized signals from each delegation as they weigh prospects for a reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. Friday’s developments put the S&P 500 on track for its longest weekly advance since 2024, and US crude dropped below $94.

Abbas Araghchi

The developments came as the US increased pressure on Iran with its naval blockade, seeking to get Tehran to agree to talks, while Israel and Lebanon are set to extend a ceasefire for three weeks.

Trump ordered the US Navy to shoot any boat putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz, after the military intercepted two oil supertankers that tried to evade restrictions on traffic to and from Iran’s ports.

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