By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan’s capital on Friday with a small delegation and was received by senior Pakistani leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The arrival marks the latest step in a Pakistani-brokered effort to revive direct peace talks between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the two-month-old war. Hours earlier, the White House announced that two senior American envoys — Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner — would fly to Islamabad on Saturday morning for what officials described as a second round of direct negotiations.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the travel plans in an interview with Fox News. “I confirm special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks — direct talks — intermediated by the Pakistanis who have been incredible friends and mediators throughout this entire process, with representatives from the Iranian delegation,” she said.
Leavitt said the rest of the administration would remain on standby in Washington. “Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary, but first, Steve and Jared will be going over there to report back to the president, the vice president and the rest of the team,” she added. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will receive updates from Islamabad, she said, while Vance is prepared to travel if needed. “The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” Leavitt said. “The president always wants to give diplomacy a chance. It’s always his first option, and he’s willing to do that here again.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed Araghchi’s arrival in a statement on Friday, saying the Iranian delegation was received upon landing by Dar, Munir and other senior officials. “During the visit, the Iranian Foreign Minister will hold meetings with Pakistan’s senior leadership to discuss the latest regional developments as well as ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability,” the statement said.
The development follows a telephone conversation earlier Friday between Araghchi and Dar, in which the two discussed the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire and Islamabad’s mediation efforts. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said both sides agreed to remain in close contact, with Dar emphasizing the need for “sustained dialogue and engagement to address outstanding issues, in order to advance regional peace and stability at the earliest.” Araghchi praised Pakistan’s “consistent and constructive facilitation role,” according to the Pakistani readout.
Iranian state media had earlier confirmed the foreign minister’s regional tour, describing the Islamabad stop in more limited terms as bilateral consultations. The official Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Araghchi would visit Islamabad before continuing to Muscat and Moscow to discuss “ongoing developments in the region” and “the latest situation regarding the war imposed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran.” Araghchi himself posted on X that he was embarking on a “timely tour” of the three capitals. “The purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments,” he wrote. “Our neighbours are our priority.”
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