Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff are traveling to Islamabad on Saturday for talks aimed at brokering a ceasefire deal with Iran, following signals that Tehran is willing to negotiate after weeks of military conflict. The White House reports seeing 'some progress' from Iran, though Iranian officials are publicly denying that direct U.S.-Iran meetings are planned — suggesting Pakistan will act as an intermediary. The diplomatic push comes as Trump maintains military pressure: a U.S. blockade remains in place, energy markets are still strained by Strait of Hormuz disruptions, and past rounds of negotiations have repeatedly stalled over verification terms and prisoner exchanges.