U.S. envoys heading to Pakistan for direct talks with Iran to end war

The White House says U.S. envoys are headed to Pakistan tomorrow for a second round of direct talks with Iran aimed at negotiating an end to the war.

Iran’s top diplomat is headed to Pakistan today for talks with mediators, but there is no indication from Iran that he will be speaking with the Americans.

“The Iranians want to talk,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “They want to talk in person.”

The White House says envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are travelling to Pakistan for the direct talks, noting the Trump administration has seen some progress from the Iranian side over the last few days.

“Steve and Jared will be heading to Pakistan tomorrow to hear the Iranians out,” Leavitt said. “We hope progress will be made.”

Security has been tightened in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in preparation for the arrival of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi wrote on social media today that he is travelling to Pakistan, Oman and Russia “to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments.”

“Our neighbors are our priority,” Araghchi wrote. He has not said if he will meet with the Americans.

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U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Iran has an “important choice, a chance to make a deal, a good deal, a wise deal.”

Hegseth echoed the words of President Donald Trump, saying the U.S. is not anxious to cut a deal and that the “ball is in Iran’s court.” However, Hegseth also warned the Iranian regime that the American naval blockade is intensifying.

“This growing blockade is also gone global,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth said the U.S. Navy seized two Iranian ships in the Indo-Pacific this week, and a second aircraft carrier is on its way to join the blockade of Iranian ports.

The warning comes as Iranian state television broadcast video of two container ships anchored near the Strait of Hormuz that have been seized by Iran. Tehran says the ships were taken Wednesday when they tried to enter the strategically vital strait without authorization.

The strait has been closed by Iran since a U.S.-Israeli attack in February, allowing only certain ships that pay a fee to pass.

“We would welcome a serious European effort to do something about this strait,” Hegseth said, reiterating the administration’s request for European allies to send military assets to safeguard the strait and weaken Iran’s grip on the waterway.

While the U.S. announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon — where the war has spilled into — Israel’s prime minister says he will continue striking any threats in Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Force reported more clashes with Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon today.

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