Negotiations with Iran will resume, the White House said Friday amid a stalemate between the U.S. and Tehran over who controls the Strait of Hormuz.
Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions, listen as Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, April 12, 2026 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin - Pool/Getty Images)
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Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that White House negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan for talks on Saturday.
She said “the Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” adding, “we’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Friday he was embarking on a “tour of Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow,” but he did not say anything about meeting with the U.S. and said the “purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments.”
Talks have been frozen since earlier this week amid a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran saying a lasting peace deal is contingent on the U.S. lifting its blockade of ships traveling to and from its ports and the U.S. demanding Tehran give up control over the key oil passage.
While the two sides appear far away from an agreement to permanently end the war, fighting has been paused by a ceasefire President Donald Trump has extended indefinitely.
Vice President JD Vance will not directly participate in the negotiations, but will be apprised of the details remotely and be on standby to travel to Pakistan, according to multiple reports. Vance cancelled a trip to Pakistan on Tuesday when Iran reportedly wouldn’t commit to attending. The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, a key negotiator for Iran, also will not be in attendance, according to CNN.
As the war enters its ninth week, Trump officials have offered little clarity on how and when they might reach a resolution. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday the U.S. naval blockade would continue “as long as it takes,” but insisted the war won’t be “endless.” He said the U.S. is both “anxious” to make a deal with Iran, but also has “all the time in the world” to achieve its objectives in the conflict.
It’s become increasingly clear in recent days that reopening the Strait of Hormuz can’t happen immediately since Iran has placed hard-to-locate mines in the strait that even they might have lost track of, according to reporting by The New York Times and Washington Post. Pentagon officials reportedly told Congress this week that reopening the strait could take six months, prolonging the economic consequences of the war.
Hegseth Says Navy Blockade Will Continue ‘As Long As It Takes’ But War Won’t Be ‘Endless’ (Forbes)
Trump Announces Three-Week Extension Of Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire (Forbes)
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