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Iran says no meeting planned with US; indicates indirect talks through Pakistan

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by Sarah Davis - 04/24/26 7:10 PM ET

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by Sarah Davis - 04/24/26 7:10 PM ET

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Iran said it will not meet directly with the U.S. in upcoming talks mediated by Pakistan, despite a contrary statement from the White House earlier Friday.

“No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S. Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan,” Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said in a social media post Friday afternoon.

Diplomats from Iran and the U.S. are expected to engage in negotiations facilitated by Pakistani officials in Islamabad this weekend.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Friday that special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, would travel to Pakistan for a second round of talks amid the Iran war.

“I can confirm special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks, direct talks, intermediated by the Pakistanis, who have been incredible friends and mediators throughout this entire process, with representatives from the Iranian delegation,” Leavitt told the network.

The press secretary expressed her optimism that the negotiations would be “productive” and advance the two countries closer to a peace deal. Trump announced an indefinite extension to a two-week ceasefire between the two sides earlier this week.

Tasnim News Agency, which is associated with Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also disputed the notion of direct talks Friday. The outlet reported that Iranian officials had not agreed to meet directly with their U.S. counterparts during this trip.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi intends to present a new response to the U.S.’s peace proposal, The New York Times reported Friday.

“Embarking on timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow,” Araghchi wrote in a Friday social platform X post. “Purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbors are our priority.”

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

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