Overview
- In Islamabad, Jared Kushner and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are fronting the latest U.S. talks with Iranian delegates, with private ally Steve Witkoff involved, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice-President J.D. Vance are not on the team.
- Rubio has been largely absent from recent Iran sessions in Geneva, Doha, and Pakistan as he balances dual roles as secretary of state and national security adviser, a pairing last seen under Henry Kissinger.
- The State Department, through spokesperson Tommy Pigott, says close coordination with the White House is a strength and argues the National Security Council and State are now fully aligned.
- Analysts and former diplomats say the setup sidelines career diplomats and elevates private associates and political aides, with Stimson Center’s Emma Ashford calling the secretary’s role effectively vacant for active diplomacy.
- Rubio has traveled far less than recent predecessors and has not returned to the Middle East since a brief Israel stop last October, a shift that underscores how key negotiations now run through the president’s inner circle in Washington.