New Delhi — The United States and Iran are scheduled to hold a second round of talks in Islamabad, likely on Sunday, signaling a cautious resumption of direct engagement even as internal divisions in Tehran cloud prospects for a deal.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan after Iranian officials responded to a presidential invitation to meet. Leavitt said the administration hopes the in-person discussions will be productive and help push negotiations toward an agreement. Vice-President J.D. Vance is not expected to join the delegation but remains on standby to travel to Islamabad if discussions warrant his presence.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is already in Pakistan as part of a three-nation itinerary that includes stops in Muscat and Moscow. Tehran has described the tour as an opportunity to coordinate with regional partners on bilateral issues and consult on wider regional developments, with neighboring states given priority. Pakistani authorities are expected to host tightly managed exchanges between the American and Iranian teams.
The talks take place amid reported turmoil in Iran’s negotiating apparatus. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who had been leading engagement with Washington, is reported to have stepped down after internal disputes—allegedly over efforts to bring the nuclear dossier more squarely into the talks. Hardliner Saeed Jalili has been floated as a possible successor, while Araghchi is believed to be maneuvering for a larger role. Those internal rivalries add uncertainty to the negotiating track.
Diplomatic signals are mixed. Convening a second round indicates some momentum, but both sides remain firm on core demands—sanctions relief, nuclear commitments and regional security arrangements. Oman and Russia, the other stops on Araghchi’s tour, provide strategic depth to Tehran’s outreach: Oman has long been a discreet facilitator of US‑Iran contacts, while Russia remains a key partner for Tehran. Overall, the process appears incremental, highly managed and vulnerable to geopolitical pressures and internal Iranian fault lines.
