Iranian Foreign Minister to Arrive in Islamabad for Possible U.S. Peace Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday night for possible peace talks with the United States, according to Pakistani government sources and an Iranian source cited by CNN.

The visit follows a previous round of U.S.-Iran negotiations held in Islamabad on April 11, which were described by a Pakistani source as the first direct talks between the two countries since 2015. Those discussions involved U.S. Officials Steve Witkoff, JD Vance, and Jared Kushner, alongside Iranian representatives Mohammad Ghalibaf and Abbas Araghchi, and Pakistan’s army chief.

Pakistani mediators anticipate that the upcoming meeting could lead to a second round of face-to-face negotiations between U.S. And Iranian officials. The talks are occurring amid broader diplomatic efforts to address the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, including a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon that was recently extended by three weeks after discussions at the White House.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has publicly criticized European allies for not contributing sufficiently to U.S.-led efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that the situation there “is much more their fight than ours.” He emphasized that the U.S. “barely” uses the strait and urged NATO members to increase their involvement in escorting oil tankers.

President Donald Trump has declined to provide a timeline for resolving the conflict with Iran, telling reporters, “Don’t rush me.” He also stated that the U.S. Does not currently know who the leader is in Iran, adding to uncertainties surrounding diplomatic engagement.