Following a confirmation on an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi likely to arrive in Islamabad tonight, the White House has confirmed that U.S. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will head to Pakistan’s capital city on Saturday morning (April 24, 2026) for a new round of talks with Iran on ending the war. U.S. President J.D. Vance, who was part of the first round of talks, will not be part of the delegation, but is on “standby”.
Mr. Araghchi confirmed that he is “embarking on a timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow”. State-run IRNA news agency said the team will “hold bilateral consultations and discuss current developments in the region, as well as the latest situation” in the U.S.-Iran war. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Washington is “not anxious” about a deal, he said, adding that any attempts by Iran to lay mines in Strait of Hormuz would be a breach of ceasefire.
Editorial | Persian deadlock: on the U.S. and the war on Iran
An Indian seafarer aboard a vessel held in Iranian custody is safe, a senior official said on Friday (April 24), even as the ship appears to have moved to a comparatively safer eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was “seriously wounded” in the U.S.-Israeli airstrike that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, but he is “mentally sharp”, the New York Times reported on Thursday (April 23, 2026).
