Eight weeks into a devastating conflict between the United States and Iran that has claimed thousands of lives and roiled global energy markets, a new round of diplomatic efforts to restart peace negotiations has taken shape in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived Friday to advance Tehran’s position via Pakistani mediation.
The diplomatic push comes after weeks of escalating hostilities: a sustained U.S. bombing campaign and Iran’s decision to block the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz have locked both sides in a costly stalemate. Iran’s oil exports have been cut off amid the standoff, while U.S. gasoline prices have surged to multi-year highs, putting pressure on both administrations to find a diplomatic off-ramp.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters from Reuters Friday that Iran is preparing to table a proposal designed to meet core American demands, though he declined to share specific details of the offer. When pressed to identify which Iranian representatives Washington is engaging with, Trump said only: “I don’t want to say that, but we’re talking to the people who are currently in charge.”
Contradicting Trump’s implication of direct talks, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry posted on social platform X that no Iranian officials plan to hold face-to-face negotiations directly with U.S. representatives. Instead, the spokesperson said, Iran will convey all its positions and concerns through Pakistani intermediaries. Despite this denial, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are currently preparing to travel to Islamabad for planned meetings with Araqchi, according to multiple diplomatic sources.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt struck an optimistic tone ahead of Araqchi’s arrival, saying the U.S. had observed encouraging signs of progress from the Iranian side in recent days. She added that Vice President JD Vance, who led an earlier failed round of talks earlier this month, stands ready to travel to Pakistan if needed to advance negotiations. Pakistani security and diplomatic sources have confirmed that a U.S. logistics and security delegation is already on the ground in Islamabad preparing for the talks. Araqchi was photographed meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Serena Hotel, the same venue that hosted the previous, unsuccessful round of U.S.-Iranian talks. The capital has been placed under heavy security amid the high sensitivity of the ongoing diplomatic process.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has thrown his support behind Pakistan’s mediation efforts, in a recent phone call with President Trump. Araqchi, for his part, noted on X that his current regional tour — which also includes stops in Oman and Russia — is focused on coordinating with key regional and global stakeholders on bilateral issues, regional developments, and the latest efforts to bring the eight-week conflict to an end.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clarified Washington’s core red line Friday, saying that Iran still has an opportunity to reach a “good deal” with the U.S. as long as it agrees to roll back its nuclear ambitions in a meaningful, verifiable way.
The most recently scheduled round of peace talks, planned to restart this past Tuesday, was canceled after Iran declined to confirm its readiness to negotiate, prompting the U.S. delegation led by Vance to remain in Washington. In a bid to keep diplomatic momentum alive, Trump extended an existing two-week ceasefire Tuesday to give negotiators more time to coordinate a new meeting.
Global energy markets continue to swing sharply amid persistent uncertainty over the future of the conflict and its impact on energy supplies. Brent crude closed Friday at $105.33 per barrel, marking a small uptick from the previous session, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dipped slightly to $94.88 per barrel.
The latest diplomatic push has raised muted but tangible hopes that the eight-week conflict, which has upended global trade and energy security, could finally move toward a negotiated resolution, though significant gaps remain between the two sides on core issues.