&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner head to Pakistan for talks with Iran")
Nearly two months since the start of the military conflict marred by intensive fighting, blockades, trade route disruptions, Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner head to Pakistan for a second round of peace talks to negotiate an end to the war between the United States and Iran.
"I can confirm Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks... with representatives from the Iranian delegation," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Friday (April 24).
The second round of talks comes after days of trading accusations between both sides, with US President Donald Trump facing intense domestic and international pressure from surging oil prices and disrupted trade routes triggered by Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for nearly 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply.
Iran had moved to restrict shipping in retaliation for a US-Israeli bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes targeting military and government sites. The opening strikes killed top Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with dozens of other officials. Mojtaba Khamenei was subsequently elected on March 8, 2026, to replace his father as supreme leader.
However, following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States on April 7-8, and the first round of Islamabad talks on April 11-12, Tehran agreed to reopen the key waterway. Iran confirmed it would allow the resumption of shipping across the Strait of Hormuz during the two-week ceasefire period, easing disruptions that had pushed global oil prices sharply higher. However, it again closed the Strait after US President Donald Trump announced a complete naval blockade of Iran following the collapse of the Islamabad talks.
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The first round of talks, led by US Vice President JD Vance and attended by Witkoff and Kushner, while Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led Tehran’s delegation, collapsed after Iran objected to Washington’s insistence on maintaining sanctions and naval restrictions during negotiations.
Meanwhile, Iran's state media confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would travel on Friday to Pakistan, which has been mediating between the Islamic Republic and the United States in a bid to end the West Asia conflict.
"Iran's Foreign Minister will begin a regional tour on Friday evening, April 24, travelling to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow," the official IRNA news agency said, after a Pakistani official disclosed the visit. "The purpose of this trip is to hold bilateral consultations, discuss ongoing developments in the region, and review the latest situation regarding the war imposed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran."
However, Araghchi confirmed his visit to Pakistan but cited bilateral talks as the reason for the trip without mentioning any peace talks with the United States.
"Embarking on a timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow. The purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbours are our priority," he said in a post on X.
