The White House said on Monday that there is no confirmation yet on reports that US Vice President J.D. Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and former presidential adviser Jared Kushner may meet with Iranian officials in Islamabad.US Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt said that the situation was still “sensitive” and “fluid,” warning against drawing conclusions. In response to the NIA’s query regarding the said meeting, it said such developments should not be treated as final unless officially announced by the White House.She added: “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the United States will not negotiate through the press. This is a fluid situation, and speculation about the meetings should not be considered final until the White House officially announces them.”
Reports point to Islamabad as a possible location
This statement comes after multiple reports from Reuters, the Financial Times, and the Times of Israel indicating that the mediating countries are trying to hold US-Iranian talks in Islamabad, perhaps within days. According to these reports, Pakistan presented itself as a neutral place, benefiting from its relations with both Washington and Tehran. Contacts are said to be ongoing, with a senior Israeli official indicating that “contacts are underway” to organize a meeting involving senior representatives from both sides.
Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir also reportedly spoke with US President Donald Trump, while Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held multiple talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the Financial Times.
Back channel diplomacy, but no formal talks
Diplomatic activity has intensified in recent days, with Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt engaging in back-channel efforts alongside US envoy Witkoff and Iranian officials, according to Reuters.But Tehran denied holding any direct negotiations with Washington since the start of the conflict.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said: “During the past few days, messages have arrived through some friendly countries conveying the American request to hold negotiations to end the war,” adding that “appropriate responses have been provided.”Analysts say these efforts are still preliminary. Sanam Vakil, of Chatham House, told the Financial Times that countries were “trying hard” to de-escalate, but added: “I do not take this as a signal that the war is coming to an end.”
Trump signals stop, markets react
These diplomatic efforts come after Trump said that the United States would halt strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days after what he described as “very good and productive” talks.“We’re doing a five-day period, and we’ll see how it goes. If it goes well, we’ll end up sorting this out. Otherwise, we’ll just keep pounding our little hearts out,” he said.US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum expressed confidence in the communication, saying: “President Trump will solve the problem, and I am very confident that he, as the master dealmaker, will come out of this with a win-win deal for Americans,” Al Jazeera reported.He added that the administration is aware of the risks threatening global energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz. He added: “We were fully aware of this matter.”Oil markets responded to the developments, with Brent crude falling 10.9% to settle at $99.94 after briefly approaching $120 last week, while the S&P 500 rose 1.1%, according to Al Jazeera.
Pakistan is on a tightrope amid regional pressures
Pakistani mediation efforts come at a time when it is working to achieve a balance between competing strategic interests.
Islamabad adopted cautious diplomacy, condemning the strikes on Iran while urging an end to the escalation.It maintains strong ties with Saudi Arabia, including a defense agreement, while also sharing border and economic ties with Iran. At the same time, it seeks closer engagement with the United States.“Pakistan presents itself as a mediator between the United States and Iran, but not convincingly,” Edmund Fitton-Brown of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital.
