US President Donald Trump has dispatched special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, Pakistan, for discussions with Araghchi, according to two US officials who spoke to CNN. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Bagahei clarified early Saturday on X/Twitter that “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US.” Baghaei further stated that “Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.”
Contradicting this, the White House had announced on Friday that Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would engage in direct talks with Iranian negotiators over the weekend. White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt later confirmed President Trump’s decision to send Witkoff and Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Araghchi. She announced, “I can confirm @SEPeaceMissions and @jaredkushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks.” Leavitt added that “The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” expressing hope for a “productive conversation that will hopefully move the ball forward to a deal.” She emphasized that Trump “is always willing to give diplomacy a chance… We hope progress will be made.” Vice President JD Vance was also confirmed by Leavitt to be on standby, ready to join if the discussions showed positive momentum.
Separately, President Trump informed Reuters on Friday that Iran was preparing an offer aimed at meeting US demands, as peace talks were anticipated to resume in Pakistan. “They’re making an offer, and we’ll have to see,” Trump stated during a phone interview. He acknowledged not knowing the specifics of the offer but reiterated his firm stance that any agreement must include Iran relinquishing its enriched uranium and ensuring free oil passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian delegation’s arrival in Pakistan on Friday evening was confirmed by two Pakistani government sources to Reuters. Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament media office refuted reports of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s resignation as head of the Iranian negotiating team, stressing that no new round of talks had been scheduled. Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to meet with Pakistani mediators before proceeding to Oman, with Pakistani teams reportedly optimistic that this meeting could pave the way for further negotiations between the two nations. CNN had previously reported, citing Iranian media and a US source, that Iranian negotiators would engage in discussions with a Pakistani delegation on Friday, explicitly excluding any US representatives.
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