The White House on Monday said there was no confirmation yet on reports that US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and former presidential adviser Jared Kushner may meet with Iranian officials in Islamabad.US Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt cautioned against drawing conclusions, saying the situation remained “sensitive” and “fluid”. Responding to a question from ANI on the alleged meeting, he said such developments should not be considered final until formally announced by the White House.He said, “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US will not negotiate through the press. This is a fluid situation and speculation about the meetings should not be considered final until they are formally announced by the White House.”
Reports point to Islamabad as a possible venue
The statement came after multiple reports from Reuters, the Financial Times and The Times of Israel indicated that the mediating countries were attempting to convene US-Iran talks in Islamabad, possibly within a few days. According to these reports, Pakistan has leveraged its relations with both Washington and Tehran to present itself as a neutral venue. Contacts are said to be ongoing, with a senior Israeli official stating that “contacts are ongoing” to convene a meeting involving senior representatives from both sides. According to the FT, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir has also spoken with US President Donald Trump, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has held several talks with Iranian President Massoud Pezhekian.
Backchannel diplomacy, but no formal talks
According to Reuters, diplomatic activity has intensified in recent days, with Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt engaging in backchannel efforts with US envoy Witkoff and Iranian officials.However, Tehran has denied any direct talks with Washington since the conflict began.“In the past few days, messages were received through some friendly countries conveying the US request for talks to end the war,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said. “Appropriate responses were given,” he said.Analysts say these efforts are still preliminary. Sanam Vakil, of Chatham House, told the FT that countries were “scrambling” to de-escalate tensions, but added, “I don’t take this as any sign that the war is coming to an end.”
Trump signals pause, markets react
The diplomatic push comes as Trump said the US would halt attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days after “very good and productive” talks.“We’re doing a five-day period, and we’ll see how it goes. If it goes well, we’re going to tackle it. Otherwise, we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts,” he said.US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum expressed confidence in the outreach, saying, “President Trump is going to solve this, and I have full confidence that as the dealmaker-in-chief, he’s going to come out of this with a winning deal for Americans,” as quoted by Al Jazeera.He said the administration was aware of the dangers to global energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz. He said, “We are fully aware of this.”Oil markets reacted to the developments, with Brent crude falling 10.9% to close at $99.94 after hitting near $120 last week, while the S&P 500 rose 1.1%, according to Al Jazeera.
Pakistan’s troubles amid regional pressures
The pressure for mediation from Pakistan comes as it balances competing strategic interests. Islamabad has adopted cautious diplomacy and condemned the attacks on Iran while urging de-escalation.It maintains strong relations, including a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, while also sharing border and economic ties with Iran. At the same time, he wants closer ties with the US.“Pakistan is putting itself forward as a mediator between the US and Iran, but in a disjointed way,” Edmund Fitton-Brown of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital.