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Islamabad has become the unlikely epicenter of diplomacy in one of the most dangerous conflicts of the decade — but as US and Iran war tensions mount, Tehran is refusing to sit at the same table. On Saturday, April 25, the world’s most closely watched diplomatic standoff took another unpredictable turn. White House Press Secretary
Islamabad has become the unlikely epicenter of diplomacy in one of the most dangerous conflicts of the decade — but as US and Iran war tensions mount, Tehran is refusing to sit at the same table.
On Saturday, April 25, the world’s most closely watched diplomatic standoff took another unpredictable turn. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would head to Pakistan on Saturday morning to engage in “direct talks” with their Iranian counterparts. CNBC The move comes as Pakistan scrambles to broker a breakthrough in the Iran-US war — but the latest news from Tehran throws the entire mission into doubt.
Even as American envoys boarded flights to Islamabad, Iran pulled the diplomatic rug out from under the table. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei posted on X that there are no plans for a meeting between Iranian and US negotiators in Pakistan. “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US,” Baghaei wrote, adding that Iran’s “observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.” CNN
Shortly after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s arrival in Islamabad, his ministry clarified that any exchange between Tehran and Washington would be indirect, with messages conveyed to Pakistani officials instead. Araghchi met late Friday with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir — and on Saturday morning held further meetings with Munir and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. euronews
The pattern is familiar. In late March, there were conflicting accounts about whether the US and Iran were in talks at all. Trump said Washington had held “productive conversations” with Iran, while Tehran denied any talks with the US. CNN The fog of diplomacy now rivals the fog of war.
The talks planned for Saturday come as much of the world is on edge over a war that has snarled crucial energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz, clouded the global economic picture, and left thousands dead across the Middle East. OPB
Araghchi and the two Trump envoys held hours of indirect talks in Geneva on February 27 over Tehran’s nuclear program, but walked away without a deal. The next day, Israel and the United States started the war against Iran. OPB
The White House says the Islamabad mission is still worth attempting. Leavitt said the president decided to send Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan “to hear the Iranians out,” adding: “We’ve certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days.” CNBC Separately, President Trump told Reuters in a phone call that Iran would be “making an offer.” CNBC
Vice President JD Vance, who led the first US delegation to Islamabad, will not be making the trip this time — though the White House said he would be on standby in case his presence becomes “necessary.” euronews
The broader US and Iran war picture remains grim. On April 21, Trump announced that the US was extending the ceasefire with Iran pending negotiations, while instructing the naval blockade to remain in place and telling the military to remain prepared to resume fighting. Wikipedia
A key point of conflict remains the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil transit, which Iran effectively closed at the start of the war. Trump said he had agreed to the ceasefire on condition that the strait be fully reopened. CNBC That has not happened. A combination of Iran’s restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade of Iranian ports has caused shipping through the strait to remain virtually nonexistent. CNN
The head of the International Energy Agency described the situation as “the biggest crisis in history,” saying: “The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia.” NBC News
On the economic pressure front, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US does not plan to renew a waiver allowing the purchase of Iranian oil at sea. “We have the blockade, and there’s no oil coming out,” Bessent said, warning that Iran may be forced to shutter oil production within “the next two, three days.” CNBC
Pakistan has emerged as the indispensable middle man in the US Iran war latest diplomatic chapter. Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier asked the US to “hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.” Time
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Islamabad said Pakistani mediators are “cautiously optimistic” regarding Iran-US talks following the arrival of Araghchi. Al Jazeera Araghchi’s visit to Pakistan is part of a broader regional diplomatic tour — he is also set to visit Oman and Russia, where discussions will focus on bilateral matters and the war, including the Kremlin’s long-standing offer to take custody of Iran’s enriched uranium. CNN
The latest news on the US-Iran war is a study in contradictions: envoys flying in while the other side denies any meeting is planned; a ceasefire in name while a naval blockade tightens; a president promising a “great deal” while his Treasury Secretary warns Iran’s oil wells could shut within days.
Trump said he “could make a deal right now” with Iran but is willing to wait for an “everlasting” agreement. Al Jazeera Tehran, meanwhile, accuses Washington of using negotiations as cover for continued economic warfare.
With Witkoff and Kushner now on the ground in Islamabad and Iran’s foreign minister in the same city — even if at a different table — the next 48 hours may prove decisive. The world is watching Pakistan, hoping diplomacy can do what bombs so far have not: bring this conflict to a close.
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