Iran war: What’s happening on day 57 as US envoys head to Pakistan?

United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan on Saturday for talks with Iran, the White House has said, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Islamabad.

The visit comes amid deadlocked negotiations between the US and Iran, with uncertainty lingering for days over whether Tehran will return to the table.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Iran still had an “open window” to strike a deal and abandon its pursuit of a nuclear weapon in “meaningful and verifiable ways”.

Here is what has been happening on day 57 of the conflict:

In Iran

• US freezes $344m in cryptocurrency: The United States has frozen $344m in cryptocurrency assets linked to Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, as Washington seeks to raise pressure on Tehran amid energy supply disruptions due to the war.

War diplomacy

• Diplomatic visits to Pakistan: Araghchi arrived in Islamabad with a small team for meetings, while the White House announced that Witkoff and Kushner would travel to Pakistan on Saturday morning.
• Deadlocked negotiations: The trips come amid uncertainty over whether Iran will participate in renewed negotiations.
• Hormuz ‘must reopen’: The Strait of Hormuz must reopen immediately “without restrictions and without tolling”, European Council President Antonio Costa said after talks with leaders from Lebanon and Syria.
• ‘Diplomacy is not closed’ between Iran and US: Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid reports from Tehran said that no talks are planned in Islamabad for now, though diplomatic efforts continue, with Araghchi touring regional capitals as Pakistan mediates.
• Pakistan ‘cautiously optimistic’: Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports from Islamabad that mediators see signs of progress, though there is still no clarity on direct talks.

In the Gulf

• Kuwait drone incident: Two drones launched from Iraq hit northern Kuwaiti border posts, causing damage but no casualties, according to Kuwaiti authorities. Iraq has opened an investigation, Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari said.

In the US

• US rules out oil waiver extensions: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told The Associated Press that Washington will not renew waivers for Russian oil shipments in transit, and that any extension for Iranian oil is “completely out of the question” in light of the ongoing blockade.