Iran’s foreign minister arrived in Islamabad on Friday and US envoys headed to the Pakistani capital in a bid to kickstart a new round of peace negotiations amid a fragile ceasefire.
The White House said emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would engage in an “in-person conversation” with Iranian representatives, but Iranian state media said that direct talks were not in the cards.
Google News LinkFor all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel.
Despite President Donald Trump’s announcement on Thursday of a three-week ceasefire extension in Lebanon, Israeli strikes in the south of the country killed six people on Friday, the Lebanese health ministry said.
While Trump expressed confidence at the prospect of a lasting peace in Lebanon, sealing a deal to end the wider Middle East war is a thornier proposition, even as urgency mounts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff and Kushner would head to Pakistan on Saturday “to engage in talks…with representatives from the Iranian delegation.”