ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Friday expressed hope for progress in diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran, as Iran's foreign minister and envoys of US President Donald Trump were reportedly heading to Pakistan.
This comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that he is set to arrive in Islamabad on Friday evening as part of a regional tour that also includes Muscat and Moscow.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told Rudaw in a brief meeting in Islamabad, commenting on Araghchi’s visit, “We hope things move forward for the better. Let us wait and see what happens tonight.”
Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing US officials, that President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Pakistan soon for talks with Araghchi. CNN, which first reported the plans, said Vice President JD Vance is not currently expected to attend but will remain on standby to travel to Islamabad if negotiations progress.
The visit comes after a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which paused nearly six weeks of hostilities triggered by the US and Israel’s military campaign against Iran on February 28. High-level talks between the US and Iranian delegations were held in Islamabad on April 11 but ended without a final agreement. The Iranian delegation included Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf.