Washington, April 24 (NationPress) — US President Donald Trump is dispatching two senior special envoys — Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff — to Islamabad, Pakistan on April 25 to hold direct, in-person consultations with Iranian representatives, signaling a notable shift in the trajectory of US-Iran nuclear diplomacy. The announcement was made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who cited visible progress from Tehran in recent days as the catalyst for the urgent outreach.

Leavitt Announces the Mission

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Thursday, April 24 that President Trump had personally decided to send Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad after receiving indications that Iran was ready to engage face-to-face. "The Iranians wanna talk — they wanna talk in person," Leavitt stated during a White House briefing.

"So Steve and Jared will be heading to Pakistan tomorrow to hear the Iranians out," she added, emphasizing that President Trump remains "always willing to give diplomacy a chance."

Leavitt noted that the Trump administration has "seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days," though she stopped short of confirming whether Tehran had submitted a formal or unified written proposal ahead of the scheduled talks.

Senior US Leadership on Standby in Washington

President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will remain in Washington while awaiting updates from the Islamabad delegation. However, Leavitt indicated that Vice President Vance is "on standby" and prepared to travel to Pakistan personally "if we feel it's a necessary use of this time."

The decision to use Pakistan as the venue for these talks is strategically significant. Islamabad has historically maintained diplomatic channels with both Washington and Tehran, making it a neutral and accessible meeting ground for sensitive back-channel negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

Broader Diplomatic Context: Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended

The Iran diplomacy announcement came alongside other significant foreign policy developments. Leavitt confirmed the extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, describing it as "another win for the world and for the United States" and direct evidence of President Trump and his team "doing a tremendous job at negotiating for peace all across the globe."

"We're very grateful to both Israel and Lebanon for choosing to work together and continuing these conversations," Leavitt said, expressing hope that leaders from both nations could eventually be hosted at the White House in Washington.

The dual diplomatic push — on both the Iran nuclear file and the Middle East ceasefire — reflects the Trump administration's broader strategy of aggressive personal diplomacy, leveraging direct envoy missions over traditional multilateral frameworks like the JCPOA structure.

Federal Reserve Investigation Transferred, Not Dropped

On the domestic front, Leavitt addressed questions about the administration's scrutiny of the Federal Reserve's financial management practices. She clarified that the ongoing investigation has been transferred to a different authority — specifically the Inspector General — but has not been abandoned. "The investigation still continues. It's just under a different authority," she said.

What This Means for US-Iran Nuclear Negotiations

The dispatch of Kushner and Witkoff to Pakistan marks a potentially pivotal moment in the long-stalled effort to constrain Iran's nuclear ambitions. Since the Trump administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 during Trump's first term, diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran has been fragmented and largely indirect.

The current round of talks, if substantive, could lay groundwork for a new bilateral or multilateral agreement — one that the Trump team would frame as superior to the Obama-era nuclear deal. Analysts note that Iran's willingness to meet in person suggests internal pressure from sanctions and economic strain may be pushing Tehran toward a negotiated off-ramp.

Notably, Jared Kushner's involvement is particularly significant — his role in brokering the Abraham Accords during Trump's first term established him as a trusted back-channel architect. His return to high-stakes diplomacy signals that Trump is treating these Iran talks with considerable seriousness.

The coming days will be closely watched by global powers including Russia, China, Israel, and Gulf states — all of whom have significant stakes in the outcome of any US-Iran nuclear framework. Whether the Islamabad meetings produce a breakthrough or simply open a channel for further dialogue will shape the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East for years to come.