Witkoff and Kushner Travel to Islamabad as Trump Pursues Iran Nuclear Deal Amid Rising Tensions and Oil Market Shifts

President Donald Trump has dispatched senior advisors Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for direct talks with Iranian officials, marking a renewed diplomatic effort to address the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran.

The White House confirmed that Witkoff, the U.S. Special envoy for Middle East peace, and Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior advisor, will travel to Islamabad on Saturday morning to engage in face-to-face discussions with their Iranian counterparts. The initiative follows an Iranian request for in-person talks, which President Trump agreed to facilitate.

According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the Iranians reached out to request direct negotiations, prompting the administration to send Witkoff and Kushner to hear their position. “So the president is dispatching Steve and Jared to go hear what they have to say, and we’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal,” Leavitt said on Fox News.

The talks come after a previous round of negotiations in Islamabad led by Vice President JD Vance, who held 21 hours of discussions with Iranian officials earlier in April without reaching a lasting agreement. Vance will not attend this weekend’s talks but remains involved in the process and will monitor developments from the United States alongside President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the national security team.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has urged both the U.S. And Iran to uphold their existing ceasefire agreement following the earlier talks. After Vance’s departure, the ministry issued a statement encouraging continued efforts toward a durable peace, noting that it had helped facilitate several rounds of “intense and constructive negotiations” between the two sides.

The ministry emphasized that it is imperative for both parties to maintain their commitment to the ceasefire and affirmed Pakistan’s ongoing role as a mediator in facilitating dialogue between Washington and Tehran.

The diplomatic initiative occurs amid broader regional tensions, including military actions in the Strait of Hormuz. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that the U.S. Military has been ordered to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats deploying mines to disrupt traffic through the strait, and that a second aircraft carrier is being deployed to the Gulf to expand the blockade.

Despite the heightened military posture, President Trump has indicated he is not rushing to reach a peace deal, stating that the Iran war has had less impact on stocks and oil prices than he initially expected. He has said he has “all the time in the world” to pursue negotiations.

The talks in Islamabad represent the latest effort to de-escalate a conflict that has involved direct confrontations between U.S. And Iranian forces, as well as broader regional implications involving Israel and global energy markets. Officials from all sides have acknowledged the complexity of reaching a durable agreement, but expressed cautious hope that continued dialogue could yield progress.