The United States and Iran have announced their return to the negotiating table with a new round of talks scheduled in Islamabad (Pakistan), in an attempt to revive diplomatic dialogue after weeks of deadlock in the talks and increased tension in the region.
The U.S. delegation will be led by the special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and will also include the participation of Jared Kushner, advisor and son-in-law of the president.
The White House has also confirmed that the vice president, JD Vance, will not travel for the moment, although he remains available in case of need.
Iran will send its Foreign Minister
On the Iranian side, Tehran has confirmed the presence of the Foreign Minister, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, who will travel to Islamabad to begin a diplomatic tour that will also include visits to Oman and Russia.
The White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, for her part, stressed in an interview with Fox News that the US president has shown willingness to keep the diplomatic channel open, highlighting that "the Iranians want to dialogue in person" and that Washington is willing to "give negotiation a chance".
Diplomacy under military pressure in the region
The resumption of conversations occurs in a context of strong tension. The United States maintains a significant military deployment in the Middle East, with three aircraft carriers operating simultaneously for the first time since 2003, in addition to more than 200 aircraft and a presence of around 15,000 Marines and sailors in the area.
According to the U.S. Central Command, the deployed naval groups include the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford, and USS George H.W. Bush, as part of the deterrence strategy in the region.
The talks planned in Islamabad were initially supposed to take place days ago, but were postponed without any delegation finally traveling, in a context of tensions related to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the deterioration of the regional situation.