The White House said on Friday that Iranians “want to talk in person”, but Tehran made it clear that there will be no direct engagement with US officials ahead of the second round of discussions between the United States and Iran in Pakistan’s Islamabad.
The negotiations scheduled for Saturday come at a time when global tensions remain high due to the ongoing conflict, which has disrupted energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, created uncertainty in the world economy, and led to thousands of deaths across West Asia. Follow US-Iran talks live updates here.
US claims ‘in-person talks’ between Washington, Tehran
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday that “the Iranians want to talk in person” and said that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would travel to Islamabad to “hear the Iranians out”.
She added that US vice president JD Vance is on standby and may visit if needed.
“…The president has decided to dispatch Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad. The Iranians want to talk. They want to talk in person… Steve and Jared will be heading to Pakistan tomorrow to hear the Iranians out,” she said.
Iran rejects direct talks claims
Soon after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan, his government said that no direct talks would take place with US officials during the visit.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmael Baqaei wrote on X that “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US.” He said Pakistani officials would instead pass messages between both sides.
Baqaei also thanked the Pakistani government for its “ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression.”
US-Iran talks in Pakistan
The visit to Pakistan comes as authorities there try to bring the US and Iran together for a second round of ceasefire discussions.
US President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday that Iran wants to present an offer meant to meet US demands, though he said he was not aware of its details. When asked who the US was in talks with, Trump said: “I don’t want to say that, but we’re dealing with the people that are in charge now.”
Since the previous round of talks, attempts to restart discussions have stalled, as Iran has refused to return to the table while a US blockade on its ports remains in force.
Iran has also imposed a de facto blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only limited ship traffic through the route.
With inputs from agencies