Senate

Kelly rips Witkoff, Kushner role in Iran talks: Can’t send ‘two real estate developers’ to negotiate peace

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by Sophie Brams - 04/11/26 2:14 PM ET

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by Sophie Brams - 04/11/26 2:14 PM ET

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Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) on Saturday criticized the involvement of special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Middle East diplomacy, as the two sit down with Iranian officials for trilateral talks on bringing the six-week conflict with Iran to an end.

“You can’t send the two real estate developers to negotiate a peace with another region,” Kelly said during the National Action Network Convention in New York City.

Kushner and Witkoff have spearheaded U.S. diplomacy efforts in Trump’s second term, participating in talks focused the Russia-Ukraine war, Iran’s nuclear program and the ceasefire in Gaza.

The two men are part of the U.S. delegation — led by Vice President Vance — meeting with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday for the first face-to-face talks between the two countries since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

The negotiations are aimed at easing tensions and laying the groundwork for a longer-term end to hostilities, as the two-week ceasefire reached earlier this week shows signs of fraying.

Iran has accused the U.S. and Israel of violating conditions of its 10-point peace proposal, while the U.S. has slammed Tehran for impeding the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Kelly suggested on Saturday that Trump had committed “strategic” blunders in the conflict, arguing that Trump went into it “without a plan, without a timeline, without an exit strategy.”

He faulted Trump for the prolonged Iranian blockade of the strait, a vital shipping channel that transports about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

“There is one person responsible for closing the Strait of Hormuz. It’s Donald Trump,” he said. “What Donald Trump taught the Iranians is they now have a strategic asset that they can exploit for decades to our detriment.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday morning that “massive numbers” of empty tankers were headed to the U.S. to stock up on oil and gas, but denied in a phone call with NewsNation that the action was due to the strait remaining closed.

“Iran’s a failing nation,” he told Kellie Meyer. “A very failing nation, and it’s gonna be opened up. But I think people are seeing that there are other alternatives to going through the strait.”

Kelly also criticized Trump for not discussing his plans with U.S. allies before launching initial strikes in late February, arguing his decisions have “alienated our allies.”

“You’ve got to build this, these relationships back up with our allies in the region and with NATO, and then you got to get the Iranians to the table and have a serious discussion,” Kelly said, responding to Rev. Al Sharpton’s question about what the next president should do.

Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut and naval officer, has been floated as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028.

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