US envoys to travel to Pakistan to salvage ceasefire talks with Iran
發佈日期: 2026-04-25 21:18
TVB News
US envoys are expected to travel to Pakistan on Saturday in a new bid to salvage ceasefire talks with Tehran, even as Iran ruled out direct negotiations with US representatives as its Foreign Minister arrived in Islamabad.
Pakistan's capital Islamabad appeared to be in a near-lockdown, hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived for high stake talks.
This, as as Pakistan attempts to ease tensions between the US and Iran, with much of the world on edge over a war that has snarled crucial energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz, clouded the global economic picture and caused heavy casualties across the Middle East.
Araghchi met with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on both Friday and Saturday to discuss the latest regional developments and efforts to promote peace and stability.
Aragchi, however, said any Iranian talks with a US delegation would be indirect, with messages conveyed between the two sides by Pakistani officials.
Despite this, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview on Fox News Channel that US President Donald Trump is sending envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "The President has decided to dispatch Special Envoy (Steve) Witkoff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad. The Iranians want to talk. They want to in person. And so the president, as I've said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance. We hope progress will be made, and we hope that positive developments will come from this meeting."
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Iran has a "historic chance" to make a deal with the United States and end the war in the Middle East.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said, "On this core mission, America's will is unshakable, our capabilities unmatched, our blockade is only growing and going global. And as the President said, we have all the time in the world. Iran has a historic chance to make a serious deal, and the ball is in their court. Either way, the War Department stands ready for what comes next. Locked and loaded."
Hegseth also hit out at European Union nations for what he slammed as their lack of involvement in US operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
He said "they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do, and might wanna start doing less talking and having less fancy conferences in Europe and get in a boat."
Iran has kept its stranglehold on traffic through the strait, attacking three ships earlier this week, while the US is maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports.
US President Donald Trump has ordered the military to "shoot and kill" small boats that could be placing mines.
