Key players in US-Iran peace deal
As the United States and Iran prepare to sign a peace agreement in Switzerland, key political and diplomatic figures from Washington, Tehran and Islamabad have played major roles in negotiations. The deal is being projected as a significant step toward ending conflict
Dubai: US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the US and Iran have finalised a deal to end the war between them. The peace agreement is set to be signed on June 19 in Switzerland.
Here is a look at the key players shaping diplomacy on all sides.
Donald Trump:
The US president, who has focused much of his second-term foreign policy on the idea that he is a peacemaker, has been the driving force behind the push for a deal with Iran. He has positioned the deal as a signature foreign policy achievement of his second term.
JD Vance:
The US Vice President has been a key figure in the administration’s war cabinet, helping shape Washington’s negotiating posture as the conflict entered its fourth month. Vance has been closely involved in deliberations over the terms of the 14-point memorandum of understanding that forms the basis of the emerging deal. He led the US delegation during the marathon talks with Iran held in Islamabad in early April.
Steve Witkoff:
Trump’s special envoy and point man for West Asia, Witkoff, has led the American negotiating team in back-channel talks with Iranian interlocutors. He has been instrumental in hammering out the framework deal, working closely with Pakistani mediators to bridge the gaps between the two sides.
Jared Kushner:
Trump’s son-in-law and a former senior White House adviser, now operating in an informal capacity, has been part of the broader American diplomatic effort, drawing on his West Asia contacts from Trump’s first term to help facilitate the negotiations, alongside Witkoff and Vance.
Ali Larijani:
The secretary of the powerful Supreme National Security Council was the de facto leader of Iran after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28 until his own killing in mid-March in US-Israeli strikes.
Abbas Araghchi:
The Foreign Minister emerged as one of Iran’s most influential voices in foreign affairs during the conflict with the US.
Araghchi has played a key role in managing Iran’s relationships with global powers, neighbouring countries, and international institutions. He has been the main representative for Iran in discussions with Pakistan’s mediating team.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf:
The Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, viewed as a hardliner, has been a key figure in Iran’s peace talks with the United States. He was Iran’s chief negotiator in the first direct talks with the US in decades, held in Islamabad in early April.
Field Marshal Asim Munir:
Pakistan’s Army Chief has played a crucial role in shaping Islamabad’s mediation efforts, making it the country’s most significant diplomatic intervention in decades. His behind-the-scenes communications with both American and Iranian representatives have been largely credited with preventing the talks from falling apart.
Shehbaz Sharif:
The Prime Minister of Pakistan has taken a prominent role as a mediator in the discussions, revealing on X this past Saturday that the agreement is expected to be finalised “within the next 24 hours” and signed electronically. Earlier, Pakistan hosted the first direct talks between the US and Iran in 47 years in April.
Ishaq Dar:
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister has played a crucial role in Islamabad’s mediation efforts. He has engaged in talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, and foreign ministers from numerous countries around the world.
Additionally, he has been coordinating with regional partners, including Turkey and Qatar, to ensure that diplomatic efforts continue.
Mohsin Naqvi:
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, a key ally of Army Chief Munir, travelled to Tehran multiple times for meetings with the Iranian leadership as part of Islamabad’s push to de-escalate tensions in the region. His visit was seen as a confidence-building measure ahead of the anticipated signing.
