Trump dispatches Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for new talks with Iran's foreign minister

ISLAMABAD (AP) — President Donald Trump is sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan, the White House said Friday, conscionable hours aft Iran’s apical diplomat headed to the South Asian federation wherever officials person been trying to get the United States and Iran to convene for a 2nd circular of ceasefire negotiations.

The travel comes arsenic overmuch of the satellite is connected borderline implicit a warfare that has snarled important vigor exports done the Strait of Hormuz, clouded the planetary economical representation and near thousands dormant crossed the Middle East.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said successful an interrogation connected Fox News Channel that the 2 volition person talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi connected Saturday.

“We’re hopeful that it volition beryllium a productive speech and hopefully determination the shot guardant to a deal,” Leavitt said.

She said Vice President JD Vance would not beryllium traveling but that helium remains “deeply involved.” She said helium volition beryllium successful the U.S., on with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president’s nationalist information team, connected “standby” to alert to Pakistan “if necessary.”

Earlier Friday, Araghchi wrote connected X that helium was connected his mode to Pakistan, Oman and Russia connected a travel focused connected “bilateral matters and determination developments.”

Islamabad has sought to reinject momentum into the negotiations betwixt Iran and the United States, which did not resume this week arsenic had been expected.

Trump extends the Jones Act waiver for 90 days

Separately Friday, the White House said President Donald Trump issued a 90-day hold to the Jones Act waiver, making it easier for non-American vessels to transport lipid and earthy gas.

Trump archetypal announced a 60-day waiver successful March successful a determination intended to stabilize vigor prices and easiness lipid and state shipments to the U.S. pursuing the effectual closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“New information compiled since the archetypal waiver was issued revealed that importantly much proviso was capable to scope U.S. ports faster,” the White House station connected societal media said.

The terms of Brent crude oil, the planetary standard, retreated connected the news, vacillating betwixt $103 a tube and much than $107 — inactive aboriginal 50% higher than wherever it was connected Feb. 28, erstwhile the Iran warfare began.

The compression connected shipments done the strait has rippled done planetary maritime commercialized flows, including done the Panama Canal astir halfway astir the world.

Pakistan forges up with diplomatic efforts

Pakistan has been trying to get U.S. and Iranian officials backmost to the array aft Trump this week announced an indefinite hold of the ceasefire with Iran, honoring Islamabad's petition for much clip for diplomatic outreach.

That hasn’t lowered tensions successful the strait, a strategical waterway done which a 5th of the world’s lipid and earthy state is shipped during peacetime.

Iran has kept its stranglehold connected postulation done the strait, attacking 3 ships earlier this week, portion the U.S. is maintaining a blockade connected Iranian ports and Trump has ordered the subject to “shoot and kill” tiny boats that could beryllium placing mines.

“Iran has an important choice, a accidental to marque a deal, a bully deal, a omniscient deal,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters connected Friday. He said a 2nd U.S. craft bearer volition articulation the blockade successful a fewer days.

Washington already has 3 craft carriers successful the region; the USS George H.W. Bush successful the Indian Ocean; the USS Abraham Lincoln successful the Arabian Sea; and the USS Gerald R. Ford successful the Red Sea.

It is the archetypal clip since 2003 that 3 American carriers person been operating successful the portion simultaneously. The unit includes 200 craft and 15,000 sailors and Marines, U.S. Central Command said.

A increasing toll adjacent arsenic ceasefires hold

Since the warfare began, astatine slightest 3,375 radical person been killed successful Iran, and much than 2,490 radical successful Lebanon, wherever caller warring betwixt Israel and the Iran-backed militant radical Hezbollah broke retired 2 days aft the warfare started, according to authorities.

Additionally, 23 radical person died successful Israel and much than a twelve successful Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers successful Lebanon and 13 U.S. work members passim the portion person been killed.

The U.N. peacekeeping unit successful confederate Lebanon has besides sustained casualties. UNIFIL said Friday that an Indonesian peacekeeper died of wounds sustained successful an onslaught connected his basal connected March 29, raising to six — 4 Indonesians and 2 French — the fig of unit members killed since the warfare erupted.

Tensions linger successful Lebanon contempt extended truce

The concern successful Lebanon remained tense a time aft Trump announced Israel and Lebanon had agreed to widen a ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hezbollah by 3 weeks. Hezbollah has not participated successful the diplomacy brokered by Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, successful a video connection released by his bureau connected Friday, hailed “a process to execute a historical bid betwixt Israel and Lebanon.”

Earlier, the Israeli service asked residents of the confederate Lebanese colony of Deir Aames to evacuate, saying Hezbollah was utilizing the colony to motorboat attacks against Israel.

Israel's subject said it downed a drone implicit Lebanon pursuing the motorboat of a tiny surface-to-air rocket by Hezbollah. The militant group, meanwhile, said it changeable down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air rocket implicit the outskirts of the confederate larboard metropolis of Tyre.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Keaten from Geneva. Associated Press writers David Rising successful Bangkok; Koral Saeed successful Abu Snan, Israel; Bassem Mroue successful Beirut; and Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak successful Washington contributed.

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