US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan, as Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad.
United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan on Saturday for talks with Iran, the White House has said, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Islamabad.
The visit comes amid deadlocked negotiations between the US and Iran, with uncertainty lingering for days over whether Tehran will return to the table.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Iran still had an “open window” to strike a deal and abandon its pursuit of a nuclear weapon in “meaningful and verifiable ways”.
Here is what has been happening on day 57 of the conflict:
In Iran
- US freezes $344m in cryptocurrency: The United States has frozen $344m in cryptocurrency assets linked to Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, as Washington seeks to raise pressure on Tehran amid energy supply disruptions due to the war.
War diplomacy
- Diplomatic visits to Pakistan: Araghchi arrived in Islamabad with a small team for meetings, while the White House announced that Witkoff and Kushner would travel to Pakistan on Saturday morning.
- Deadlocked negotiations: The trips come amid uncertainty over whether Iran will participate in renewed negotiations.
- Hormuz ‘must reopen’: The Strait of Hormuz must reopen immediately “without restrictions and without tolling”, European Council President Antonio Costa said after talks with leaders from Lebanon and Syria.
- ‘Diplomacy is not closed’ between Iran and US: Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid reports from Tehran said that no talks are planned in Islamabad for now, though diplomatic efforts continue, with Araghchi touring regional capitals as Pakistan mediates.
- Pakistan ‘cautiously optimistic’: Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports from Islamabad that mediators see signs of progress, though there is still no clarity on direct talks.
In the Gulf
- Kuwait drone incident: Two drones launched from Iraq hit northern Kuwaiti border posts, causing damage but no casualties, according to Kuwaiti authorities. Iraq has opened an investigation, Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari said.
In the US
- US rules out oil waiver extensions: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told The Associated Press that Washington will not renew waivers for Russian oil shipments in transit, and that any extension for Iranian oil is “completely out of the question” in light of the ongoing blockade.
- US sanctions target Iran oil network: Washington imposed sanctions on a major China-based refinery and about 40 shipping firms and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil.
- US buildup: The US military noted that it now has three aircraft carriers in the Middle East for the first time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
In Israel
- Netanyahu ‘sabotage’ claim: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of trying to “sabotage” efforts to reach a “historic” peace deal with Lebanon.
In Lebanon and Gaza
- Israel kills six: The Israeli military said it had killed six Hezbollah fighters in a southern Lebanese town “during an exchange of fire.”
- Hezbollah downs drone: The Israeli military confirmed a statement by Hezbollah that it used a missile to shoot down an Israeli drone in southern Lebanon.
- Israeli attacks kill at least 12 in Gaza: At least 12 Palestinians, including six police officers, were killed, according to medics and officials in Gaza.
Oil and gas
- ‘Tight’ gas markets: The market for liquefied natural gas (LNG), which has been strained by the war, will remain “tight” through 2026 and 2027, the International Energy Agency said.
- Oil mixed, stocks at record highs: Oil prices had a mixed day, with Brent oil futures edging higher to finish above $105 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, dropped 1.5 percent to $94.40 a barrel. The S&P 500 rose 0.8 percent, taking the benchmark for US stocks to an all-time high.
