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U.S. President Donald Trump is sending envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to take part in a second round of ceasefire negotiations with Iran, the White House said Friday. <\/p>\n
Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi<\/a> met late Friday with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir shortly after arriving in Pakistan\u2019s capital Islamabad. On Saturday morning Araghchi met with Munir and Pakistan\u2019s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, officials said.<\/p>\n Pakistan also is preparing to receive Witkoff and Kushner for the start of the renewed talks, although officials have not specified when they are due in Islamabad. Vice President JD Vance will not attend, the White House said.<\/p>\n The Trump administration announced it is placing economic sanctions<\/a> on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move appeared to be part of the administration’s threat to impose secondary sanctions<\/a> on entities doing business with Iran in order to cut off Iran\u2019s oil exports, a key source of its revenue.<\/p>\n Here is the latest:<\/p>\n Commercial flights resumed Saturday at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran for the first time since the war with the United States and Israel started about two months ago.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s state-run television reported the airport has flights to Istanbul in Turkey, Oman\u2019s capital Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina.<\/p>\n Flightradar24, a flight tracking platform, showed at least three Istanbul-bound flights departed Saturday morning.<\/p>\n Iran partly reopened its airspace earlier this month during a ceasefire with the U.S.<\/p>\n German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his country plans to deploy minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean, which later could be transferred to the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will deploy a minesweeper to the Mediterranean and provide it with a command and supply ship,\u201d Pistorius told the Rheinische Post newspaper Saturday.<\/p>\n He did not say exactly when the ships are scheduled to depart.<\/p>\n After an end to hostilities between the U.S., Israel and Iran, the German minesweepers could be deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, though such a mission would need to be approved by Germany\u2019s Parliament.<\/p>\n \u201cTo save time, we have decided to deploy part of the German units to the Mediterranean early on so that \u2014 once the mandate is approved \u2014 we do not lose any further time,\u201d Pistorius said.<\/p>\n Pakistan\u2019s capital Islamabad appeared to be in a near-lockdown Saturday morning, hours after Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived on a closely watched visit as Pakistan attempts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran.<\/p>\n The weeklong security restrictions have disrupted daily life, with hundreds of thousands of residents struggling to commute even short distances. Checkpoints, road closures and diversions have become routine sights, particularly around sensitive zones.<\/p>\n The usually busy arteries leading to the airport and the heavily fortified Red Zone were largely deserted early Saturday, with movement tightly restricted. Soldiers and police were at key intersections while helicopters circled overhead.<\/p>\n The measures were reinforced over the past 24 hours on the city\u2019s outskirts with additional forces stationed along key airport access routes. Soldiers were visible on rooftops overlooking major approach roads, particularly near the airport where the Iranian delegation arrived late Friday.<\/p>\n Iran hanged a man Saturday over alleged ties to Israel\u2019s Mossad intelligence agency and his participation in anti-government protests in January.<\/p>\n Erfan Kiani was the latest in a series of executions in Iran following the war and nationwide protests.<\/p>\n The Mizan news agency of Iran\u2019s judiciary announced Kiani was convicted of charges including attacks on security forces in the city of Asfahn in January.<\/p>\n The agency claimed he was on a \u201cmission for Mossad\u201d without offering evidence.<\/p>\n Human rights activists long have said Iran convicts people in closed-door trials without allowing defendants to properly defend themselves.<\/p>\n There recently have been multiple executions of alleged spies, as well as protesters and those affiliated with an Iranian exiled opposition group.<\/p>\n Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to travel to Beijing on Saturday to begin a weeklong visit at the invitation of the Chinese government.<\/p>\n Discussions will include economic and trade cooperation and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan\u2019s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n