President Donald Trump has dispatched Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to engage in renewed peace talks with Iran in Pakistan. The move was confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday.
"The Iranians reached out as the President called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation, so the President is dispatching Steve and Jared to hear what they have to say," Leavitt said.
“We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward to a deal," Leavitt added in her interview on Fox News. She also said that Vice President JD Vance will be on standby if the talks turn out to be productive.
The move from the Iranians come as the Trump administration has ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after the Iranian regime has tried to shut down shipping in the key waterway. Iran relies on exports of oil to prop up their economy, but the blockade has been preventing the regime from shipping out exports to other nations such as China.
Earlier on Friday, Foreign Minister of Iran Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post o X, "Embarking on timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow. Purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbors are our priority."
As the US has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC has also fired on shipping vessels in the waterway. On Friday morning, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the US would be going after Iranian ships that were able to go out to see before the blockade went into place, and that the blockade would continue to grow “by the day.”
"The United States has imposed an ironclad blockade that grows more powerful by the day. From the Gulf of Oman to the open oceans, our Navy is enforcing this blockade without hesitation or apology," Hegseth said at the time.
"The Iranians reached out as the President called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation, so the President is dispatching Steve and Jared to hear what they have to say," Leavitt said.
“We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward to a deal," Leavitt added in her interview on Fox News. She also said that Vice President JD Vance will be on standby if the talks turn out to be productive.
The move from the Iranians come as the Trump administration has ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after the Iranian regime has tried to shut down shipping in the key waterway. Iran relies on exports of oil to prop up their economy, but the blockade has been preventing the regime from shipping out exports to other nations such as China.
Earlier on Friday, Foreign Minister of Iran Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post o X, "Embarking on timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow. Purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbors are our priority."
As the US has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC has also fired on shipping vessels in the waterway. On Friday morning, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the US would be going after Iranian ships that were able to go out to see before the blockade went into place, and that the blockade would continue to grow “by the day.”
"The United States has imposed an ironclad blockade that grows more powerful by the day. From the Gulf of Oman to the open oceans, our Navy is enforcing this blockade without hesitation or apology," Hegseth said at the time.
